Rapt Attention
by nolite101
Summary: When the community center was restored, Shane was out of work. Laura changed that. Their budding life seemed all too perfect, but a Shadow Brute named Olc sought to ruin what Laura held close. Part 1 of a series.
1. New

_New_

Laura had moved in on a quiet sunny day in the beginning of the spring without much fanfare. She was obviously noticed by all of the locals and there was a low hum of excitement for a new resident, but only a few people met her at first- Robin, Lewis, and Pierre.

"She seems sweet, very quiet, but good form when swinging an axe!" Shane had heard Robin chirp while speaking to Jodi outside. He hadn't cared then, and even now, he barely did. She was generous, and admittedly, she was very sweet, strong, had loads of patience, but it aggravated him to no end.

"Good morning, I'm Laura." she had said in her soft and steady voice, a small smile picking up at the ends of her lips.

"And? I don't know you, And I don't care to either." Shane had aggressively responded. He had been hungover and annoyed. Sun too bright, air too hot, and her voice too sickening. Trudging to Joja Mart was one of the worst parts of the day especially in the summer. Judging from the fact that it took her a month to say hello to him, she must have taken heed from the other townspeople to not approach him for a while. Hearing the gossip about him was regular for him then.

But now, things were just… different. He didn't hate Laura, he didn't much… _care_ for her. But she was good to him, and treated him with respect although they'd never fleshed out much of a deep relationship, she never pushed herself into his life. Which he, when honest, had mixed feelings about.

When the Community Center opened up again, Joja Mart was quickly run out of town, along with his job. Morris, an out of town girl, and himself were left without work. Although he was sure the other two were fine, he wasn't too sure about himself. The drinking hadn't yet slowed down for him, he was still burning through cash almost as fast as he made it and once he was out of work he was forced to bum off anyone who would take a scolding type of pity on him, and drown himself in big gulps of water, closing his eyes and pretending it was beer when the pity ran dry. Over time, his dependence waned slightly, and a month or so later Laura came to him with a proposition. Her farm had gotten bigger. The grass a little unruly as she attempted to keep it all tame and functioning. She asked him to help her with her massive amount of chickens, and to tend to the rabbits and ducks as well. Something he enjoyed a little less.

There was always drive in her, a grit that couldn't keep her down. It was strange for such a small and sweet seeming woman, swinging away with her axe, disappearing until late into the night. Rumors had been flying almost as soon as she had come that she was exploring into the mines. Mines he had only stepped into once, taken a look down into the dark and seemingly endless hole, and quickly stepped back from. One look was enough to satisfy him for a lifetime. But not her apparently. Or so the rumors told him. For the most part though, he was seeing her from afar from around the farm. He had hated what he assumed was pity at first, the job offer, and had almost denied it had the need for cash flow not been so hard on his mind when she first questioned him about it. They'd barely spoken in the two years she'd been in the town. He hadn't wanted to, and she never tried hard to get words out of him. After time though, he appreciated the work. It was hard work, but it left him feeling fulfilled. More than once she had asked him to do other tasks, doing simple repairs on fences, moving the heaters in and out of the barns, stacking firewood or mucking out stalls. Once even asking him help with pulling hot peppers from the vines. A task he was sure she gave him on purpose as he'd heard a couple giggles after he popped a few in his mouth, it had soured the taste in his mouth, but now after working for her for almost 6 months he looked back on the memory with an almost fondness.

Their interactions were almost always the same.

"Good morning, Shane." she'd kindly say.

"Morning, Laura." he'd respond with not much enthusiasm.

"I'll leave your lunch on the porch when you're ready." and he knew she wouldn't be there to eat it with him. The way he liked it. Instead, she'd work straight through lunch, munching on field snacks while she pulled weeds or tilled soil. He knew she loved the animals but her real passions seemed to lay with gardening. Or maybe monster slaying, if he thought deeper and let his mind run a little more wild.

At first she'd made him his favorite pepper poppers only. But as he continued working, the meals had slowly changed, he wasn't going to complain much, though as it was free. Parsnips and lentils were added to his catalogue of edible foods. Bok choy, and fennel- even a day when she'd made him a salad stacked with beets and he'd had a shock the next day and a trip to Harvey's clinic.

"It's the beets." Harvey had said with a chortle.

Everyone knew she was having a small effect on him. He'd become more lean, toned, his facial hair less tame as no one was around to get onto him about it except every now and then Jaz telling him he looked like "A wild man". No doubt referring to Linus. Mainly though, he was more docile. Still could get as mean as always, but no when people said "Hello." he'd at least nod his head in their direction instead of responding with a scathing comment.

He just wasn't as angry as he had been. Still a little bitter with the world. But many of his problems seemed distant now-a-days. He was calmer.

 **Notes:**

This is my first story, I'm writing only for fun and I haven't I guess completely finished the game. I've finished up the community center but not much beyond that at all. So please bear with me and enjoy! :)


	2. Annoying

Annoyance

"Good morning, Shane." Laura wlecomed.

"Good morning, Laura." Shane responded, imparting a small smile to the woman's mouth.

He had known it would, saying her name, and crinkled his nose a bit at it. Honestly, he wasn't quite sure why he did that now and then. Maybe to have a small break in the monotony. Work on the farm was not bad, and was at the very least much less monotonous than JojaMart. Maybe it was that weeks got long, hours were longer- that was for sure, and within those weeks certain tasks could drag on. Main thing keeping him going, and keeping him around, was being able to get up from a grueling task and take in his work, survey with some burgeoning satisfaction that he had accomplished something.

Something always soured it though. Something always had to. There would be a flaw- gone unnoticed for all the quality checks he did on himself until the end. Or maybe a break during a last hammer swing. Or maybe that creeping, jealous, inane thought.

 _You're living off her achievements. You were just a drunk six months ago. Hell. You're still an alcoholic always craving a beer._

Shane was always aiming to squash those thoughts. Chirping beetles, cruel and unending, scuttling around in his brain.

 _You'll never amount to anything! Chirp chirp_

 _No one could ever love you! Chirp Chirp_

 _You're a piece of shit! Chirup Chirup_

It had him grabbing at his hair at some points, fistfulls of the dark locks, fingers turning red, knuckles going white.

"Shane, if you're not too busy today, will you please harvest some of the mushrooms from the cave up North? But- please don't worry if you're unable. I appreciate how much you do right now! Just if time permits. I'll leave lunch for you on the porch. Please be sure to take it easy, it's supposed to be hot today." Laura gently said, her voice as warm as the morning, but sure not to heat up like they both knew it would in the afternoon.

"Sure." Shane responded curtly eliciting a small tilt forward of the head from Laura, her brown hair thick and twisting past her ears to cover her tanned face for a moment before she turned to grab her bandana and sunhat from the porch post cap before swinging from it down the first couple steps, landing lightly on her feet, a small cloud of dust breathing in deep for a moment.

"Hey." Shane said suddenly. Laura turned to him, fixing her bandana just so, keeping her hair from her face. Peering up at him as the put on her hat he could see her expectant eyes. The shadowing casting a dappled look over her freckled face and he said, "I thought you were some kind of fucking desk jockey before this. What gives? You've only been at it a year."

A controlled grin blossomed across her face, the smallest gap between her front teeth, and tongue pressed against it. _Annoying._

"I can't take all of the credit, honestly. I've had some help from I guess you could say mother nature. But also great help from you. I couldn't do it all without you."

Fucking lie. He knew it, but he only slightly rolled his eyes and nodded. He wasn't about to shit on the hand that essentially fed him. And what was with her always referring to it as "something like mother nature".

"I do it for the money." he grumbled and Laura nodded with a small smile. She never pushed him or demanded more out of him when a wall was close to coming up. And he guessed he could appreciate that. It was pay day today too. Along with his normal wages, she always sent him off with some fruits and vegetables, sometimes honey- and even plum pudding at times for Jas who adored Laura. He scoffed when she'd first given it to him.

"Isn't this a little out of season?" he had groused.

"It might be, but I thought Jas might like it." she had said, prompting him to simply grab the stupid treat and shove it in his bag before turning and leaving through the thick grass that reached past his knees.

And now he did the same. Grabbed his sunhat from the wood post cap, turned, and walked to his first task of the day giving the chickens, and ducks and rabbits, their breakfast. But not, honestly, before turning back only for a moment to watch her disappearing into the hops, growing up almost endlessly on long bamboo poles. He took a deep breath in, smelling in what of course reminded him of his beloved beer. But with the wind, he got that very small smell of Laura. Over time, he could pick it up in the air, sifting through the smells of chicken shit and hops to find that smell of... Laura. _Fucking creep._ he chided himself.


	3. An Offer

An Offer

Shane could see her, now and then. Her head popping up amongst the fields of rhubarb, sometimes the hat lifting and a gloved hand wiping at sweat and depositing dirt. He didn't have to see that to know it, her face was always reddish and dirty after a day of making things grow. And grow they did. There was no way to deny her capability, slow and methodical with care and what seemed like a lifetime of practice. It frustrated him, a jealousy creeping into his stomach and curling up to make a bed in his thoughts, giving him what he thought were butterflies of anger, when he saw her turn to him and give a small wave. Rolling his eyes, he'd return to his work and thwack away at an overrun patch of saplings.

A year of him working there was rolling up. He'd come to work for her in the early summer, and spring was coming to a close. It was a little after his 6 months of working there that they had become ever so slightly closer. A question about his day, or how his family was doing. A joint visit with Marnie and Jas where Laura had set out a bountiful dinner. The face on Jas as Laura had wheeled out a blueberry lemon cake was admittedly priceless. And even a brisk embrace one day when one of her cattle had grown gravely sick during the winter and passed on. Tears had streaked her face when he came upon her one day outside the big barn.

"What's wrong with you?" he'd asked, kicking at the dirt a little, and arms crossed over his chest fairly aggressively.

"Nilo died." Laura hiccuped, her face quickly turning away in shame. Shane felt a twinge at his heart, surprisingly and for a moment he had said nothing and did nothing except stand there and stare at her with a furrowed brow. When she began to stand with hands on her knees as if it pained her he stepped forward. She looked up in a small shock and he swept his arms under hers and pulled her to him. Pulling her into him for a moment, and his face flushing not only from the cold now but embarrassment as well. He felt her breath hitch slightly in her throat, and a small strangled choking noise as she moved to put her arms around his neck and return the embrace, but he pulled away, turning his head down and away from her to stare at the dead grass peeking from the snow.

"Sorry." he muttered, and as usual, turned away from her his hand stroking his bearded chin in agitation and confusion.

It had been a weird moment. One that neither brought back up again, but one that he lay awake some nights and thought about. He knew even though it was two seasons ago, he'd be thinking of it that night as well. That odd interaction where he suddenly had a heart.

His heart was only so big, he thought as he continued his work to fight back the invasive new growth. Marnie and specifically Jas were all he cared about and even that he barely showed outwardly. Although his Goddaughter, the child of his passed brother, knew how important she was to him, she made no fuss. They understood each other in that way.

The sun was reaching a high point in the sky soon after those thoughts melted from him and his focus was on work. Sweat drenched his body sticking his baggy, grey, long sleeved work shirt to his chest that had become more firm as the year had passed of him working with Laura. Looking up and towards the farm house he shielded his eyes from the blinding sun and could make out his covered meal sitting on the worn wood porch as well as a large canteen of water he had filled and set this morning.

Gripping his axe and scooping up his shovel he headed towards the house, setting his tools in a covered rack as he went. Laura was nowhere to be seen as he passed the rhubarb, the kale, the cauliflower and even the tulips but he pressed forward, pushing the thought away as his stomach rumbled in anticipation for his meal.

But Shane was taken by some surprise, the emotion only flitting across his face for a brief moment, as he saw Laura sitting in one of the porch chairs next to the faded yellow wire table. She bobbed her head in his direction with that small smile of hers gracing full lips, dirt smeared across her cheek and forehead, the sweat threatening anyways to pierce into her almond shaped deep brown eyes.

"Shane, I thought maybe we could sit and eat together." she said warmly, smiling a little more.

"Hm." he grunted simply, grabbing his food and reluctantly sitting with her at the table. Usually he sat on the stairs, he'd only come into her home a couple times and felt weird about stepping up even onto the porch. He knew he was welcome, but wasn't one to invite himself into a new situation if he could help it.

There was a slight tension as he unwrapped his sandwich from a brightly floral tea towel, noticing his favorite pepper poppers next to it. His eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion. She wanted something, he felt. And her small giggle to his expression only furthered his thoughts.

"I am looking to ask your something." Laura admitted, and when he only stared at her she went on. "You take a long trek to come here, I know it's a bit longer that even to Joja Mart and possibly even more dangerous, as I believe you travel through the woods a bit to get here, unless you pass the bus stop instead?"

"I just walk up from Marnies. Through the woods."

"Yes, well, you saw that I added on a bit to the house with Robin's help. And I wondered… if maybe you and Jas would like to rent a room up here in my home? The extra space is a bit more than I initially realized, and I would give you a fair price. And, Mayor Lewis may want to go to Marnie more instead of-" she was stopped as Shane made a strangled noise over his sandwich, and she grinned slightly at him, knowing he wasn't fully accepting of that relationship.

"I get it." Shane groaned slightly, his eyes sliding down to the left as he thought, NOT about his Aunt and the Mayor. It would be nice to gain a small sense of freedom even if it was leaving a family member's home and living with his… employer. He looked up at Laura, her hopeful eyes watching him. He took some solace in her, that she never really pryed at him but instead let their relationship slowly unfold naturally. There was still that jealousy, but also a small fondness for her, even thinking of her as one of his few friends besides Emily. That alone was reason to make him ponder her offer. He took another bite, and looked away again.

"Maybe." he finally spoke after a pause. "I need to talk to Marnie and Jas. But… that could be nice." and after another moment. "Jas really likes you." his eyes found their way back to Laura, her tanned cheeks flushing slightly, but she still looked at him intently for a moment before taking a bite of her own rare lunch. It was a rare moment for her, he knew. Where he said something kind almost out of the blue. Guilt crept in over the idea that he really didn't treat this woman well enough. She'd given him a lot with not much in return. Though she'd argue that point.

They ate their meals in silence after that, him finishing before her and he closed up the lunch box neatly and nodded to her.

"Thank you." he said simply. And walked back out to the field, feeling her gentle eyes on him as he left.

I am unbeta-d, and would be happy if someone wanted to take my story on! I think once I'm done I may go through and re-do things, or maybe at my half way point but we'll see. Thank you for the follow, Halloween Witch! :) I'm very interested to hear what anyone may think, I'm open to critique to some degree(this is still purely for fun) and am happy to hear if you want more of anything specific or less! Thank you very much for reading. 3


	4. Realization

Realization

Shane came home that evening with thoughts weighing heavy on his mind. It wasn't the beatles chirping and voicing irritating intonations. It was more like a broad beaked pelican that he might see down by the beach sitting heavily on a already weak fence. Staring at him menacingly with a fierce look in its eye end the threat to suddenly advance or react aggressively. It was Laura's offer that was troubling him, as he walked through the front door he peaked around to his left and then right and could see the shadow of Jas as she played with her dolls. She was humming and singing to herself with a break in the noise to call out,

"Hello Uncle Shane!" And then went back to her playing. And then he was face-to-face with Marnie who looked at him with a ruddy face and hair pulled up with wisps of it sticking to the sweat on her forehead. It looked as though she had been doing her own chores around the house and by the smell of it possibly making one of the mayor's favorite baked treats. His stomach churned slightly at the thought. There wasn't much of a chance of Shane getting over the idea of his aunt and the mayor together. He really wasn't even sure why they kept it a secret though. But before his thoughts could get much deeper, his brow furrowed as he stared intently at the straw dusted baseboards, Marnie made a sound.

"Shane, you're home a bit early today." She remarked, smiling at him. "Would you mind setting the table?" And she turned and walked back into the kitchen as Shane followed obediently.

Blueberry muffins, as he expected, cooled on the window sill, the sun still not down, Shane noticed. He had come home earlier than usual... Hopefully it wouldn't change Laura's mind about the situation. Which he doubted it would. But the apprehension edged at him all the same.

"You've been fascinated with the baseboards a little more than usual today." Marnie chuckled and Shane's head jerked up to her, the wide grin plastered on her face.

No one was as big a supporter of his work with Laura than Marnie. Although she wouldn't come right out and say it, Shane had a sneaking suspicion why she might be so excited to hear about how she was doing, and more importantly to her, how THEY were doing. Not that there was a they, he thought.

"Yeah." He started, looking back down at the baseboards in question. "I've been getting very interested in flooring." And smiled a half smile towards her, and she knew he was reaching out and making a small joke. He owed a lot to Marnie too. Jas, for keeping him alive and semi sane for years. Marnie for keeping them all together and supporting the family entirely on the back of her hard work and dedication.

"Well what's on your mind?" She asked, and her arms sat on her hips as she waited. But as the silence stretched out, and the question got thicker with meaning, her arms slide down to her sides and then moved to cross in front of her chest. She wouldn't say it, but it stung anyways. Shane knew she was expecting him to admit to getting too drunk a night earlier or destroying something or even a friendship in a fit of rage. He pushed on despite the thoughts.

"Laura asked if Jaz and I would like to come live with her." He dead panned. There wasnt, he didn't feel, a very tactful way to put all of it. Another silence settled between them before he eventually looked back up at her, taking in her startled eyes as big as saucers, and mouth slightly agape. No way she was expecting this out of him.

"Miss Laura wants ME to come live with her?!" Jas shrieked behind them suddenly and Shane turned to see her tiny hands clasping themselves over her mouth in shock, her dark purple hair released from their normal pigtails and falling around her face, framing a look of shock and obvious excitement. "Like a big sleep over!" She whooped. There was no hiding it, and as he looked back to Marnie he could see that tiny bit of her heart break. Children, Shane was noticing, could take a lot out of people from being so unashamedly blunt and eager. It never bothered him much, his heart was steeled pretty well against most things.

"Well, not sure you were supposed to hear that so quickly but that sure is big news." Marnie said cheerily with a tinge of panic, taking over suddenly the task of setting the table, adorning the white clothed table with the bright blue scalloped plates. Shane moved to pull out the pale pink glasses but was overtaken by Marnie again, a new type of flush and sweat spreading across her face.

"She only offered because of the long walk, and that the house is bigger than she thought with the new addition-" he was pushing out the story a little faster than usual. He knew he had been a dick to his only family too much. They deserved better, and he had taken to using a better tone with them in the last year and caring more for their feelings. Or at least expressing it more, so feeling Marnie's panic was easily stressing him out now.

"Well, that's good news! I'm excited for you! Growing older and getting your own place! With Jas too!" Marnie squeaked a little too brightly.

"Not really my own place but-"

"Oh well you know what I mean! Very exciting! I'm sure you two will have a great, great, GREAT time!" She went on grinning still and now eyes welling with tears. There was a small scuttle, and Shane knew Jas was scurrying away from this obviously mounting situation and he felt himself wishing he could do the same. There was an eye roll threatening to over take him at Marnie's reaction but he held it in. He loved his family.

She was reaching for the silverware when Shane reached out and gently grabbed her wrist just as her mouth had opened to allow more words to fill the air. Staring at her until she looked at him, he eventually released her arm and took a single step back. It was his turn now to cross his arms but continued to look down and away.

"Aunt Marnie." He began.

"You don't have-"

"Aunt Marnie." Shane said again, closing his eyes as though to close out the entire situation. This time she stayed quiet, willing to hear him out and knowing that he had limits. "I'm not trying to steal Jas from you. Or myself... Even though I've given you not much but grief." She made to disagree but he looked at her semi sternly. "I know I have. It's been who I've been. And I'm trying to change. I don't get Laura's weird fucking continous pity party she's been throwing me but I want the change. I know you... Have a life." He ground out the last part. "And I want to be a bigger part of Jas's life. I'm not gonna replace her dad and obviously not her mom. But I want to be a better father figure to her and see her more often." And now his expression softened as he looked at his Aunt. "We won't leave if you don't think it's a good idea for US. But... This might be a good middle step. It's not like I'm gonna live with Laura forever. Maybe I'll build a house nearby someday. One Jas could even inherit. In the forest near your ranch. When she's a chicken tycoon maybe she can take over yours too." He said with a small chuckle, and it got a smile out of Marnie. There were tears trickling down her face, pooling at her chin and her nose was bright red. Shane went into her front desk and came back with a box of tissues that she readily accepted with a smile.

"But I want what is good for the family. You guys are all I have." He finished and looked her in the eyes, a rare thing for a man who usually only looked people in the eyes with a stare of contempt.

"You have Laura." Marnie spoke, and the aversion of his eyes made her laugh. She reached out, patted the side of his face, and pulled a bit at his beard that came out at least two inches from his face now. A scowl screwed up his face but her second small bout of laughter made him smile a bit instead.

"You do have Laura." She repeated with a smile. "And I'm not trying to keep you from anything... I... I just know that I'll miss you and Jas... If you choose to go." Her lip was quivering again but the eyes stayed strong and looked at him with the unwavering strength he knew she had. "But you're more and more a man. We're all very proud of you. And I mean the whole town. I think everyone misses you at the Saloon and our staple Shane always being there but... We're proud that you've grown from that." And Shane gave her a bit of a rueful look. He absolutely still had his moments. Where the drink called him back just too strongly. But the words meant a lot all the same. Wasn't convinced the town was necessarily proud but it only mattered to him that Marnie and Jas felt relief by his change.

"... Are we going to go and stay with Miss Laura?" Jas quipped, her eyes peeking out from the doorway edge with a shine to them. Out of excitement or that she'd listened Shane didn't know.

"Do you want to?" Shane asked.

"Will we visit Aunt Marnie still?"

"Of course"

"Then yes!" Jas cheered running towards them and wrapping her arms around them both, and Marnie in turn reached out to grab Shane and tug him towards her fiercely as Jas squeezed tighter.

There weren't many moments Shane felt like he was truly happy.


	5. A Chat

Evening air warm on her face, the sun gleaming out of existence for the evening, frogs croaking in the nearby pond, and cicadas whirring their long hum. Her eyes slid closed and she rocked gently on the porch swing, one foot tucked under herself, and the other with toes on the wood floor pushing her back and forth smoothly.

Little paws padded on the wood, and a faint and quiet purring began. Ooma wasn't a cat to hang around in the summer day time, rather emerging at night when things had settled. Days were much better spent in the rafters of the barn that housed the cow and few pigs Laura took care of. Better spent for the cat that is. Laura had looked forward to the addition of a cat into her life, thinking of it's use in chasing down field mice and moles. The mice and mole problem was taken care of in a different way though as the years had gone by. A junimo hut was put into her garden, out of complete eye sight, but Laura had only wanted their company, if they'd have her. She let them come and go as they pleased, and never asked anything of them. And because her love of gardening was absolutely evident, the Junimos had taken to ushering out the nuisance causing creatures, with no harm done to either party. Just mild annoyance from the "pests".

Laura was slightly surprised that Shane had never noticed them, as she'd seen them herself scurrying under his feet on more than one occasion. But Shane seemed usually so deep in thought and his work that it may not be that much of a surprise he never took them in. No telling what his reaction might be. Even she had leapt into the air with fright at the first sight of the spritely spirits but quickly came to admire them, bringing small gifts that they may ask for, and even saying small prayers to Yoba as she laid them neatly on the little wooden platforms strewn out through the decrepit community center. Amazing things happened as she completed the tasks laid out for her, and her fascination with them only grew. So unlike the green slime creatures deep in the mines, their hulking bodies that rolled towards her with only a desire for her death as she searched for the precious stones she needed for all of the crafts she put out in the farm. It would make her shudder the first few months in, but with practice over the years she only thought of them mildly. Almost with pity even. If only they could come out, feel the grass between their... well, feel the grass and the warmth on their faces. Maybe they wouldn't be so blood thirsty. It was creatures like the Shadow Grunts that really gave her pause. Battles with them were typically long, tough, and grueling and she'd come back from the mines with bruises and scars. It made Krobus so much more of a wonder, that he had gone and strayed from their seemingly vengeful ways...

Her eyes slid over to take in the great big white cat as it stretched it's body out, one paw out, then the next as it showed sharp and menacing teeth for a moment, licked it's lips, and jumped up into her lap.

"Oof!" she gasped, a small laugh escaping soon after as she rubbed the cat's head affectionately. It was nice for the thoughts brewing to be dispelled, and upon seeing the cat and it's normal stand off-ish demeanor that still demanded attention, she was reminded of the other stand-offish "creature" she had invited into her home.

Laura tilted her head back, and closed her eyes once more before opening them only half way again, squinting up at the metal tile that covered her porch ceiling. The designs blurred as she squinted, and as she stared she could almost see Shane's form coming out of the pattern as she put her imagination to work. She blushed and slid her eyes closed once again.

It was a little shocking, even to her, that she had extended the offer to this man. Laura was typically a quiet woman who did no seeking into any type of relationship with men. Not that she couldn't feel a type of attraction... she was just... happy with being on her own. There really wasn't a need for Shane to come and live with her, and Jas too. But, she reasoned with herself, it did get lonely in the house that had ended up just being too big for her. A regret had set in as soon as she saw how much bigger her tiny abode had gotten, soon after Shane had started working. She wasn't sure why she had done it, even though, subconsciously she really did know why. To invite him deeper into her life.

Was she manipulating him? The thought had crossed her mind. Manipulating him into getting closer to her? He was so harsh and angry, like a wild angry horse penned in and seething... and drunk. Did Laura feel like she could tame him? Or fix him?

No, she reasoned again. Things had gone much too slow for it to be a type of manipulation, and there was nothing she REALLY sought out from him. Maybe his company, but she did not delude herself into believing that they would ever end up together. Emily seemed to be the woman he'd end up with someday anyways. Opposites attract and Emily was bubbly, sweet, and accepting. Almost the exact opposite of Shane.

Ooma meowed with annoyance, Laura realized her hand had slipped to rest on the cat's back, and she picked back up scratching the feline behind her grayish ears.

"Will you all get along?" Laura asked, smiling down, but only got a slow look up from the cat in her lap, an uncaring and cool glance as it looked away again.

"Probably then..." Laura spoke softly. And with a small grunt she pulled her leg out from under herself and heaved upwards with a small struggle, Ooma a little to big for her own good, the cat scrambling for a moment before putting it's paws up on her shoulder and staring out onto the wide fields of the farm. Laura smiled again, opened the door with attention not the disrupt Ooma too much and moved into the house, shutting the door behind herself softly, peaking out at her farm for one last second.

* * *

Sun peaked through the white window shutters, slats of light covering Laura and her bed in sunshine with one particularly pesky beam nudging her to wake up. It only took a few seconds for the understanding, the world wanted her to wake up. Start the day.

Laura stretched and yawned, back arching and arms coming up over her head, her blue night gown sleeves with tiny white flowers descending down and bunching as she put her hands back over her chest. She lolled her head to one side lazily and smiled at Ooma. Who gave her an upturned snub nose in response and looked away as though to say

 _You have not fed me yet._

The act elicited a small laugh from Laura, who closed her eyes for a brief moment as she turned to face upwards again and open them to the ceiling.

 _What horrible popcorn texture_ , she mused, but smiled at it anyway. Although it wasn't a very pleasing sight to behold, she couldn't bear to part with it. Although the thought of sloughing off the dated texture was tempting, when she stood on her bed and pushed up onto her toes, looking at it long ways made it so much more interesting to see. Like stalactites growing from the ceiling, or mountains turned upside down or any number of other things. But that was when she was feeling silly. In reality, she kept it because of her grandfather. The first part of the home that she had started living in was the last original part of her grandfather's home that had weathered the storms and days of neglect. The rest of it had been inhabited by critters and damaged by rot and just age. But the heart of the home had muscled through she imagined by grit and drive alone. As though it had been waiting for her bravely and patiently. And when she lay in her bed, she liked looking up at the ceiling and thinking that her grandfather may have looked up from his bed as well. Or reached up to touch the itty bitty stalactites when he was feeling imaginitive too. Living alone, she now knew, had you thinking very deeply into the most mundane things, though she liked it that way.

 _Meow_

Came Ooma's annoyed call, urging her to get out of bed and start on breakfast. Looking over at her old cuckoo clock, the bird long since left out in a permanent state of song when the gears wore out at perfect time to freeze the stance, it read almost noon which had Laura jumping in her skin in surprise.

She heaved herself out of bed, bare feet slapping on the wooden floor as she raced over to the kitchen and got out the crock of cat food, grabbed a scoop and plunged her hand in, taking out deep fills of food and placing it in the bowl that she set on the floor for a hungry Ooma. Laura eyed her with minor embarrassment, having slept in and not attended to breakfast. It was a wonder she was woken up by sun and not claws into her belly, but she was grateful. There were other things to attend to though, she wanted to grab some staples at Pierre's like-

A knock at the door, and it sent a shiver through Laura. It couldn't be him... he'd never come back so quickly to answer... maybe Leah instead or...

She wiped cat food crumbs hastily on her night gown, glad for its modesty and grabbed the metal door handle opening it, to her surprise, to Marnie.

"Oh! Marnie, what a pleasant surprise!" Laura chirped, not very good at hiding her nervousness and then with a glance down at herself her further embarrassment. As if being embarrassed in front of Ooma wasn't enough...

"Hi Laura! How are you?" Marnie asked, smiling kindly.

"Good! I'm so sorry if you'd like to come in for a moment I can throw clothes on and-"

"No, No, it is honestly all right. I only want to talk for a moment. About... Shane." Marnie finished, a little bit of an awkward edge in her voice. Not angry or upset or fearful just... awkward.

"Sure, sure, please sit with me, I'd love to talk this through." Laura answered, and came out, shutting the door softly behind her and moving to sit at her yellow metal table after pulling a chair out for Marnie to sit in as well. She picked both chairs up a little and moved them back, keeping that annoying screeching sound out of the air, and already nervous for what was to come. Marnie sat down with a sign on content to be sitting under the shaded porch on this very hot day. Laura made a move a murmured something about water but Marnie stopped her again and pulled out a water bottle beaded with sweat.

"I'm good, Laura, honestly. I just want to ask quickly... how you feel about Shane?" the questioned startled Laura quite a bit, and she made a fidgety move, running her fingers from temple to the base of her neck and flaring her hair out from in front of her shoulders to behind. It was a defense mechanism she knew, thinking if she hid less of her face, she might appear more confident. Which unbeknownst to her it usually did just that.

"He's a good guy. Misunderstood, I might think. We honestly don't talk a whole lot... but I trust him and respect him." Laura quietly said, looking down at her now clasped hands resting on the mesh metal table but then back up at Marnie as she spoke who was looking her straight in the eyes. Laura knew she should show Marnie the respect of maintaining eye contact as best she could even with the small blush creeping over her face, so faint it may just look like flush from hot air.

"Well, he told me about your offer... it's very generous of you. I can't say I haven't worried for him as he makes that long walk every day. I worry for you too, living out her so secluded from everyone else. But... something tells me you know how to handle your own, I am sure you know people talk about your involvement with the Adventurer's Guild. You've quickly become our most interesting townsperson." Marnie laughed, and smiled warmly at Laura. "But, Shane can be difficult at times. And I know he loves this job, not that he'd ever say it to you, honestly, but I would hate for a living situation to cause conflict and... maybe termination if it didn't go well. I just worry for him." There was a pause between the two, and Laura leaned back heavily on her chair and let what Marnie was saying sink in as deeply as it could go. With how little they really spoke to each other, she couldn't foresee a problem between the two of them. She was quiet around him, and typically that way around most people, she tried to be as friendly as she could with him but he was a bit abrasive... but it didn't bother her too much. It made certain moments so much sweeter, and he was not outright cruel to her and didn't take advantage of her kindness in any way. But she could see why Marnie would be worried. This situation of living with technically an employee was very unconventional. But she barely thought of Shane as an employee, more like a business partner and an equal. She even paid each of them the same from what she made off the farm alone. Loot from the mines and fishing were more than enough to help pay for the home addition and out buildings, and for whatever reason, it was impossible to take a loan out in this town so she wasn't in any debt.

"Thank you for talking to me about this, I do really appreciate it, Marnie. I don't know if I can ever dispel your worry but I can say that I do mean it when I say I trust Shane. And I trust that this will work out between us two. I respect his boundaries, and I'm not interested in pushing him or changing him. He's his own person, and I am very careful not to pry. And with our living situation, I will keep that same mind set."

"So you're not romantically interested in Shane?" Marnie deadpanned, almost immediately after Laura had finished causing Laura to inadvertently sit straighter and sputter a bit, losing her calm and collected state for a moment she'd worked so hard to get herself into.

"No! No... I mean... I think Shane is great, I... he would be a great... uh... romantic partner for any woman... um... I would never, well, I wouldn't... Shane is a very nice man." Laura rushed out that last bit and blushed heavily, breaking the eye contact she had worked so hard to keep and Marnie laughed from deep within her stomach.

"Don't worry Laura! Your secret is safe with me. Hey- you've kept my secret! That's what friends do." she said, grinning from ear to ear and stood then, gripping the chair and pushing the chair back, making that sound Laura had tried so hard to avoid but it didn't hold the threat anymore. The tension was gone, and Laura was relieved that it was over, maybe the solitary life and Shane had made her eager to get out of conversations but at least she was glad this one happened with Marnie.

"And Laura, honestly, please take care of yourself. And if you need anything, come by at any time." she gave a quick smile, and hugged her briefly before then turning and starting her walk back to her ranch.

Laura watched for a little while until she couldn't be seen anymore, and even then stood still lost in thought for a moment before jumping and realizing how late it had gotten. She'd have to hurry to get all these chores done in time now. But with a small weight off of her chest.

* * *

Thank you for your support Clixila! I dedicate this chapter to you haha and my renewed motivation to continue with the story! :)


	6. Agreement

Even though Laura had done everything as "correctly" as she could, and the worst thing that could happen next was that Shane would refuse her offer- Laura still felt a bit of dread as the start of the day approached. Sunday evening had been a bit stressful, with hand wringing, and the creation of plenty of sweets, cranberry candies, mini blueberry tarts, even a overly pruned pink cake, with the edges of the frosting so sharp and crisp you could slice your finger on it. Each food item was immaculate, as her stress pushed her into perfecting each delicacy. In the haze of cooking, she'd also made pepper poppers which, ironically, she'd spent the least amount of time preening over, and now looking at them, a little burned and lumpy, she seriously considered chucking the plate but went against that thought. When thinking rationally, Shane wouldn't care what they looked like. Being home made alone was a big treat for him.

Her eyes darted up at the clock and a shudder ran down her spine in anticipation. 5:45, and Shane was typically there and went right to working at 6. The nerves raking through her body also caused her to consider Marnie's words with much more vigor.

 _"So you're not romantically interested in Shane?" "Don't worry, Laura! Your secret is safe with me!"_

It was something she was far from admitting out loud, to others and even to herself. But when she dug deep and pulled at different strings of her heart, the chord rang out loud and clear. After the couple years of knowing him it was right there- she was in love with Shane... Shane...

 _How can I be in love with someone and not even know their name?!_ Laura thought to herself, groaning inwardly at the idea of asking him that question someday after they'd already known each other so long. It was unlikely, though, that Shane would be aware of hers either. Serrano... more than likely, next to no one knew it besides maybe Evelyn, George, and Lewis seeing has Grandpa has been her paternal grandfather.

Deepening thoughts had left he deafened to the outside world for a short, peaceful moment- and it was the third ring of the doorbell that had her jolt out of the fog and without a moment more she was at the door and swinging it open quick and wide, the air blasting her hair behind her face, eyes shining bright with anticipation. She already knew who it was, and it was absolutely uncommon for him to come up and ring the bell. Shane jumped a little, obviously surprised by the sudden arrival, but recomposed himself quickly to save face.

"You're late. Sleep in or something?" Shane asked, his hands shoved in his pockets as he looked more towards the peep hole in the door than at her. Not unusual.

"Oh! Uh... Yes! Sorry about that. Um. Well... how are you?"

"Good." he responded. And after a quick look up at her, hesitantly said, "You?"

"I'm good! Good as can be." She wasn't. She was desperately trying to claw back her normal composed demeanor, it was unusual to show so much of this anxious emotion, people knew her as strong and quiet, and she tried her best to emulate that, although right now she was failing hard with it. "Um... Would you like to come in and talk? Or... later? Or?" and left the question open to any suggestion by him.

"We can talk now..." and she nodded swiftly, taking a quick step to the side and watched as he walked in, and closed the door, facing the outside once again as she closed it, peeking out at her farm for that one moment before encasing herself in the walls of her home with just herself... and Shane.

 _Meow_

And Ooma. Who was rubbing up against Shane's leg, tail flicking back and forth with quick and sudden movements, Laura took notice when he bent down and gave the cat a quick scratch behind the ears, which Ooma pressed her head into.

"Do you like cats?" Laura asked softly, making her way over to the kitchen table and gestured for him to sit down with her, which he nodded to and obliged.

"They're fine I guess. As long as they don't mess with the chickens." he answered with his eyes still on the cat. It made Laura laugh a bit, so enamored with the idea of this cold and hard man who blocked out humans and any contact with much happiness, but with such a passion for an unlikely animal.

"Ooma's a good girl. Really keeps to herself for the most part. Already warming up to you, you two would get along well.. if... ya know, you chose to want to live here. Which... did you decide or talk to Jas about that?" Laura's heart was racing, and wished so badly that Shane made more of a habit of looking at people, it was so much harder to read someone who rarely even looked you in the eye.

"I did talk to Jas about it, and Marnie- who I hear spoke to you as well."

"She did."

"Yeah, not entirely pleased with that... I'm not trying to bring all sorts of speculation down here but... I talked with them and, I think I'm going to take you up on your offer. Jas was up for it as well. It could... be a good change for us." he finished, and looked up for a moment, just as Laura let out a huge inaudible sigh. Her face reddened deeply, knowing it was obvious she'd been holding her breath at the answer she really hadn't been expecting. She'd spent so much time bracing for a no that the yes was a bit jarring.

"Oh! That's great news, I'm so pleased!" and she really was.

"How much, though? For the rent?" and his question had her staring owlishly at him. Rent? It hadn't much occurred to her to charge him anything. He already worked for her, and very hard too.

"Nothing!" she responded quickly, and as he opened his mouth to protest, probably something about him not being a charity case she went on, "You work on the farm already! And do so much, I might think you have more time to work here, since you won't be walking as long. I wouldn't want to charge you any rent. I don't even pay a mortgage thanks to grandpa." and she smiled warmly at him, trying to get across that no money would be changing hands, and she was going to stick by that. He harrumphed a little, rubbing at his bearded face as he was known to do now-a-days.

"Maybe we can start the move in process next Monday? Give you time to pack for yourself and Jas?" and Shane looked at her for a bit now. It was like electricity running through her body at his stare and she stared back, longing for meaning behind his eyes. But he looked away shortly after, back down at Ooma.

"Sure." he said.


	7. Move In

Shane grunted a bit as he heaved the last box onto Mayor Lewis' truck. Sweat dripped from his brow and he wiped at it with his forearm, looking up at the cloud doted sky. Wondering why not one could make it's way to relieve him of the sun for a second, he felt a strong old hand clap against his shoulder interrupting his pondering. Reflexively he jerked himself away from the touch and made to sneer at the offending person but only made an annoyed glance when he saw it was, in fact, Lewis. The old man had offered a lot of help, with the packing and with lending the truck. Plus, the fact that he was the mayor and pretty much dating Marnie always kept him from snapping at the guy.

"Whoa, Shane! Don't wanna frighten you, specially now. You've grown strong with the work Laura's been heaping on you." And he smiled, his teeth barely visible under the bristley mustache. It made his insides clench a little in disgust at the idea that his aunt kissed through all that... He shook his head slightly attempting to dispel the thought.

"Moving in with Laura, huh? She's a lot like her grandpa I gotta say. Strong and hard working. Surprising isn't it? She's got a lot of power in such a small body. How's it been between you two anyways? Sure does warm my heart to see a young couple ma-"

"We're not a couple." Shane interjected quickly, his lips coming together tightly as he looked intensely at Lewis. A lot went through his mind very suddenly and very quickly, almost bringing a flush to his face but his cheeks were already lightly sun burned so he wasn't too worried about looking like a bitch.

"Is that so? I and... well... the town could only guess that you were. Sure gave Harvey a fear, he'll be glad to know she's available." Lewis said, smiling and practically glowing with the new gossip. Behind pursed lips now came gritted teeth. For some reason he could feel a bit of anger and jealousy start to bubble up in the pit of his stomach. Teeth grinding a bit he fumed, and Lewis took notice quickly.

"Hey Shane, you doing okay? That's good news right? Then you'll get those rumors out of your hair." Lewis spoke.

"Yeah! Fucking great. I look forward to the happy fucking couple!" Shane spat out harshly, slamming the tail gate closed swiftly while his other fist balled up angrily.

"Uhg... ergh! Thanks for letting me borrow the truck, Mayor." he gritted out, and looked down as he started to walk to the front of the truck. "And sorry." Then Shane strode much quicker into the truck and sat down, quickly starting the old truck with a couple pops and bangs and sped off down the dirt road, tires spinning for a moment before kicking up dirt and dust as Shane left. He glanced into the rearview mirror for just a moment, long enough to see Marnie come out and stand next to Lewis, her arms folded across her chest, and could almost see a smirk cross her lips.

"Shit..." he murmured before refocusing on the road... if you could call it that. More of a trail Laura had carved through her land. His brow furrowed deeply and he continued on, cursing every now and then under his breath and trying to calm down before he finally got to Laura's. She and Jas were waiting for him there and he didn't want to show up angry on his first day moving into her home.

Marnie watched after Shane as he sped away, humor in her eyes. Her nephew was always a bit of a hot head when embarrassed. She turned to Lewis with that same smirk Shane had seen.

"You ask about it?" she inquired.

"In so many words, yes. He absolutely has feelings for her, I can tell. Just might not realize it yet. Probably a little difficult to sort out that type of emotion for a guy like him." Lewis reasoned, meeting Marnie's gaze. Beaming at him, Marnie reached out to hold his hand for a moment and squeezed it gently, relishing in the feeling as he squeezed back, her calloused hand wrapped in his.

"So... what we doing today? With an empty house?" he asked, eyebrows raising mischievously in question. Marnie blushed delicately and he smiled at her and took his hand to caress her cheek gently. She reached up to brush the back of her hand against his for a moment, closing her eyes, and then wrapped her hand around his once again and began pulling him inside, excitement and passion welling up between the both of them.

"Would you like another cracker?" Jas asked a table runner wrapped around her neck like a fancy scarf and a crown of dandelions adorning her head.

"Why yes, I would quite enjoy one, madam." Laura responded with a curt nod of the head, and embellishing a terribly forged British accent. Jas giggled, her hands coming to her mouth for a moment before reaching and picking up a faded magenta plate with an assortment of seed crackers, and handed them to her companion with as much grace as a child could muster.

"Thank you, Miss Jas, would you care for a bit more tea and- oh- out in the distance- your long lost Godfather has made his return home!" Laura called out, clapping her hands together in dramatic fashion and held them to her cheek as though swooning, and Jas copied her completely and announced her own excitement.

"My Godfather! So long it has been!" impressing Laura with her sophisticated wording. But as she turned to look she could already tell there was something a little off about Shane, as he drew closer the lines in his brow become more visible. Furrowed deeply in thought or anger she did not know, but guessed it was a mixture of both.

"Jas, you know, it has been a while since the goats and pigs had a visit! Maybe you could go and see Ooma and them? That pesky cat is always in the rafters so be sure to look, but don't climb in there, your Aunt Marnie told me about your high climbing escapades." Laura said with a smile and unwrapped the table runner from around the little girl's neck fearing a choking hazard if her word went ignored.

"Okay! And then we'll all have dinner!" she cheered, and Laura smiled again and nodded, just as Shane began to pull up. He opened the door, jumped out, and slammed it behind him quickly.

"Hi Uncle Shane!" Jas called out, running to hug him quickly before making her way to the barn, and Laura was unsure if it was good or bad that Jas was so unphased by Shane's stormy demeanor.

She pushed herself up from her chair, leaving the canning jars filled with sweet tea, and seed crackers there on the table to approach Shane hesitantly who looked like he was bottling in a lot of frustration. He didn't even look at her and instead went straight to the back, where Laura knew, mainly Jas's belongings took up the bed. They'd moved the beds and dressers that morning so the rest was surely books and toys and maybe Shane's video games and TV.

"Hey, Shane- this the last of it?" she asked, giving him her most disarming smile and speaking sweet and soft.

Shane looked at her for a moment before looking away again and began pulling boxes out, stacking two and starting his way inside. Laura followed suit and came behind him before hearing his answer of just,

"Yes."

"Okay, good! You made great time, it's just barely 5! Maybe Jas can even set up a bit of her room."

"Hm." he grunted, fumbling clumsily for the door handle before grabbing it firmly, and angrily, and opening the door with a purpose. A purpose to get this done quickly and retreat into his own small world she thought. He walked past the kitchen and into the bedroom on the right to set Jas's stuff down before making his way to brush past Laura, his chest brushing against her shoulder for a moment causing an electricity to rush through her. And there he paused, making Laura got slightly stiffer and stared even hard straight ahead but she had stopped too now. It was only for a moment as Shane said,

"That's actually going into my room..." but instead of allowing her to turn around he simply grabbed hold of the boxes. "I'll take them." and she did nothing but comply as his reaching for them from her side had only brought them slightly closer. Not for long though, and she released them and he maneuvered away quickly and down the hall a bit into his own room to set them down while she started walking back out towards the truck. It wasn't until she got some distance that she considered his still deeply furrowed brow and stopped at the door, and turned around to see him walking towards her, she made a quick move she thought wasn't too obvious to get a bit more in front of the doorway.

"Shane, um... is everything okay? I, well... I wouldn't normally pry but I only ask incase the move may be something you're reconsidering...?" she asked, and watched as Shane screwed up his face slightly.

"No." he said simply and made to move past her, and she let him past.

"Well, if you'd like to talk about it, I'm happy to listen." and she followed after him reaching for a box.

"I got it. I can finish it on my own." Shane said strongly, and Laura complied by stopping, really not wanting to have a weird situation between them on his first evening there.

"Ah, okay... I might start on dinner then, after I check on Jas real quick." She quickly responded and began to walk away when she was stopped one more time.

"Hey... I'm sorry. I know I'm being rude. I just got... a lot on my mind." Shane spoke, looking over his shoulder and briefly look at her before turning back forward and walking out to door to grab more boxes.

She stared at him for a moment, before going to the barn, careful not to bump into Shane again while he grabbed boxes and peeked her head through the barn door, eyes scanning for Jas only a moment before she caught the deep purple hair on the child.

"Hey Jas- mind coming in to play? It's gonna get dark soon and Ooma probably wants to go in to." and judging by the cats expression, wanted out of Jas's child-strong grip. With her words, Jas dropped the cat who landed expertly on her feet and shook a moment, licking to unmat the hair that was ruffled up and slightly sticky from hands that were still lightly coated with sweet tea. Then she bolted out of the farm, and Jas went running after, grabbing on to Laura's hand.

 _At least one person moving in likes me_... Laura thought.

"Is Uncle Shane feeling better?" Jas asked sweetly.

"I'm... well, I'm sure he just needs some space. But I don't need to tell you that. You're a Shane expert." Laura said, sing songing the last bit and grinning at the child who laughed as though she'd said the funniest thing ever.

"No one is an Uncle Shane expert! Aunt Marnie calls him Mystery Man!" and she planted her balled up fists against her waist and struck a super hero pose.

"His super power is being grumpy!" she went on, which had Laura laughing now. It was all light hearted, she knew Jas loved her Godfather. And she had to marvel, for a girl who was so incredibly quiet and mousey when she first met her, she had proven herself to be a very effervescent young girl!

"I think you may be right about that, Jas. Maybe he's a superhero the world doesn't know they need." and smiled at the girl as they left the barn. They spotted Shane as he grabbed the last of the last boxes, and made his way inside. They followed in after him.

After he had set down the couple boxes in Jas's room, he turned to Laura and then looked at Jas.

"Time to read me my book?" she asked, clapping her hands together. But Shane shook his head.

"You're gross right now. You need a bath first. I looked, it's the same as home so go clean up." he ordered, and they both looked at Laura. She wasn't sure why until she realized- they were asking for her approval.

 _Like mind readers.._. she thought, wondering how they both knew to look at her.

"Oh, of course! This is your home now- go on ahead." she stated, nodding and smiling kindly, and Jas took off to the bathroom, calling over her shoulder.

"And after, we're reading The Wild Swans!"

"After, you're eating dinner." he responded and shook his head a little when she groaned, but she shut the door and turned the water on anyways.

Now it was just the two of them and she felt her nerves get to her a bit, but she sucked it up and pretended to be unaffected by his close proximity. Every interaction was just so... foreign and too exciting for now. It was everything to keep blushing at bay.

"I have to say, Shane- you're a great father to her." and it was already out of her mouth before she realized her wording.

"I'm not her dad." he said, looking hard at her as though to really drill in his words. "Her dad went away a long time ago. I'm her Uncle." He looked away after that.

"And... Godfather. I'm sorry about how I said it but... your... um..."

"My sister."

"Oh, sorry, yes. A perfect choice made by your sister. She must have known you'd take good care of her." but she knew his bad mood had turned even more foul. It was a big improvement, she knew. Shane a couple years ago would have bit her head off for these comments. But Shane a couple years ago would never have even agreed to move in. Now, he was just quiet and obviously stewing a little in the frustration. She'd had her assumptions, that it was a death that had brought Shane to Jas, and the both of them to Marnie. But even finding out that Jas was the daughter of his sister was as far as Laura wanted to push him. To her surprise, he offered more on his own.

"Look, Laura... I don't wanna apologize a lot. Cause I don't wanna be a total asshole all the time. I've been doing pretty good with not drinking. I've relapsed a couple times but... it's been six months solid of no beer at all and I dunno. I don't crave the alcohol. I crave the escape. And I need to learn not to be such a dick and just deal with life. Without the escape." he stated, a look of shame overcoming his features but his face softened. "I know Marnie spoke to you. And I can't make all sorts of promises, I've disappointed my family on to many occasions. But I want to make living her work. I want to be a better father figure to Jas. I... I appreciate you saying I'm a good dad. I'll never replace her mom, but I know I'm better than her piece of shit biological father. Anyone is." he said, the last part softer than the rest to avoid Jas catching what he said. But he now looked again at Laura, and her breath almost audibly hitched a little with his softened expression looking at her. Usually it was the sun or the sweat, or the cold, or the anger that screwed up his features. This was one of the few times she saw him simply relaxed and almost on the verge of content and meaning his words.

"Thank you, Laura." she responded with only nods, and knew her face was absolutely reddened.

"Do you need any help in the kitchen?" he seemed earnest but she was quick to refuse his offer.

"No, no! I'm good, please relax! I'll call you both when dinner is finished. Won't be too long... um... thank you, Shane. I... er... I appreciate your candor." and just as she kicked herself at her slightly odd word choice, she reached out almost unable to stop- and embraced him for a moment, arms going around his neck, and just as her body was about to wretch backwards and begin apologizing, she felt his arms hesitantly come to wrap around her waist in a loose embrace. It felt like both an eternity and a split second. HIs beard and breath brushing lightly against her shoulder, his strong arms holding her and she only wished they'd pull her in closer and tighter against him. But, it was over before she knew it. He pulled away from her, awkwardly nodded at her and said,

"I'm... uh, gonna go keep unpacking. Tell me if you need something." and with that he left for his room and shut the door leaving her feeling euphoric and at the same time numb in the hallway. The water shutting off was her cue, and she moved into the kitchen, reflecting and prepping.

It would take some getting used to, she thought as she folded tiny creases into chicken gyoza and put them on the frying pan to cook and sizzle contently as she chopped up green and red peppers, and broccoli into florets. Maybe, with time, he'd open up more to her even more. Even though they worked together it wasn't all that often that they worked side by side except for things like baling hay.

 _And maybe even more embraces._ she thought quietly to herself, and scrapped veggies from her cutting board into an oiled pan, smiling a tiny, happy smile.


	8. The Watching

The Watching

Shane walked with Jas, hand in tiny hand to the bus stop where they'd meet Penny. And, he realized late, that they'd be meeting up with Pam too. She didn't often pass up a moment to make a small quip, something always about not seeing him around the ole bar too often now-a-days. He wondered absently if she might be feeling a little alone being the only drunk in town for the most part now. But... self medication probably kept her numb to the idea. He looked down at Jas and smiled faintly, her face turned to look at the flowers they passed.

 _She's worth giving up alcohol. Give her a better life. I'm gonna be a better Uncle... God father._

As they neared the bus stop, there she was, standing leaned up against the ticket kiosk, lazily looking down the tunnel, as if expecting someone might just drive through to visit. That, though, barely even happened during festivals. Their footsteps alerted her though and she turned, raising her eyebrows as she was met with an unusual site. Before her remarks could come forward though, her head turned again to see her daughter, Penny, and Vincent.

"Wow, am I the guest of honor for this meeting?" She asked, and Vincent laughed a little.

"No! Me and Miss Penny are picking up Jas!" Vincent announced gleefully, looking up as though for Penny's approval. He looked quite happy to have a walk alone with Penny and she smiled at him but chided gently.

"Keep your voice a little lower, Vincent, remember how the baby birds might be sleeping?" she said with that soft smile and he clammed up, putting his hand over his mouth in realization. Jas giggled now and skipped over to grab hold of Penny's other hand.

"Oh right!" Pam spoke up with amusement, smirking at Shane. "Cause you and little miss thing are in cahoots now." and she laughed hoarsely. Shane flushed a bit, looking down for a moment but regained the ability to not be a dick quickly and gave Jas his best father-figure-firm look.

"Make sure you're good today, I think Miss Laura might have a treat for you if I hear you were well behaved. And make sure to say please and thank you." her nodding and smiling made him smile too, and he knelt down and opened his arms to receive a hug from his niece. Pulling away he squeezed her arms lightly and said, "Have a good day. I love you."

"I love you too!" she said gleefully. Shane had always loved Jas, but it wasn't until recently and with a lot of thought he began to say it to her, and to see her react to positively he was happy the change had occurred in him.

As he stood and watched them leave, a feeling of calm came over him. Of happiness, even humor as he heard a small voice,

"What does cahoots mean?" as they walked away. He was disenchanted though, when Pam remarked smartly,

"Yeah, Shaney boy, what DOES cahoots mean?" she laughed.

"None of your fuckin' business, Pam." he shot back but it made her laugh a little harder. Rolling his eyes he made his way back to the farm but not without hearing what he'd prepared himself for since he got there.

"Hey! Don't see much of ya at the saloon by the way! Come by sometime!" he nodded his head passively, and left.

 _What has been going on,_ he thought to himself as he walked back towards the farm, hands deep in his pockets and mind deep in thought. Since their dinner his mind was flooded with thinking about what Lewis had said, and for that matter, what Pam had said too. And the hug. That embrace from Laura had him a little taken aback with wonder. For a man who primarily lived a solitary life, and absolutely a man who avoided much contact with those outside his family, these feelings were a lot for him to handle, as though he was pushing that rock up a steep hill, a Sisyphean task.

He'd always been grateful to Laura, and respected her, her craft, and ability- but the only main emotion besides respect, was jealousy in terms of how he felt about her. Or at least he thought so.

Yesterday, their conversation and embrace had reminded him of a past winter. When he, at a loss for words, had instead reached out to her, attempting to be a comfort. He'd felt that shock run through his body, just like in winter, except with her initiation it felt so much... more. There was a chaos in his mind, and he was unsure if he'd catch it. Or if he'd figure out what he was even chasing.

Shane was coming up on the farm, and stopped at Laura's mailbox, remembering. Guilt had pushed him into shoving those notes in there but... maybe something else...

"Shane!" Laura called happily from a few clumps of blueberry bushes. "Lunch is in the fridge when you want it."

That was something else surprising about Laura, that she woke up so much earlier than he had realized. Shane got to the farm about 8am every morning, an hour earlier than when he worked at Joja Mart. But Laura, he found out, was up at 5am, and went out into the fields by 6am to work. But... maybe it was just something she did every other day or something. He hoped with all his might that it wasn't something she did every day. Shane had always been a night owl. But for some reason... he was willing to try to change.

The end of the day sped quickly up with the house hold, and Jas was back before they knew it, but both Shane and Laura knew work needed to be done until dark. Laura tried to get Shane to relax and go inside and have dinner and relax, but after protests from Jas to play outside and Shane saying he'd rather do the same work, she gave in and they continued work as usual, and Jas left to play around the green house with a promise to be safe. Not knowing something lurked in the tree line and the larger the shadows became, the closer the creature came to the edge.

If she wasn't so busy, Laura may have noticed that the junimo's were no where to be seen, where as they typically scuttled around near her legs now and then. Instead, they were huddled together in front of where the shadow brute lurked, chirping and squeaking with anger and a low and creaking hiss came from them. Jas, who played unsuspecting in and out of the green house was unaware but the brute was watching her every move with a cicada like noise emitting from the tree line by the Junimo's who were protesting the arrival of a creature seeking evil actions. Even Ooma, usually laying languidly about was sitting straight up, eyes sharp and ears perked high. The cat knew, just as the Junimo's did, that they couldn't do much at the moment. It was a silent battle of nerves and invisible vibrations of power. The brute was unaffected though and grinned a sharp toothy grin.

"You have nothing against me. Get away, before I take her now. This human has done enough. Taken enough of our lives. I'm taking something precious of hers." he growled out, his voice gravely and teeth snapping as he spoke, sunken white eyes staring at the child and dripping with malice. He was met with more squeaking protest. Night grew thicker, and he almost made the decision to step out of the tree line when that voice he despised so much rang out. A voice he'd escaped more than a few times as she had hacked her way through the mines. The woman's absence had not gone unnoticed and while the shaman had dismissed her as a random nuisance for a while, Olc knew better. And he wanted her dead. The Adventurer's Guild members rarely ventured deep into where his people lay, as they aged and aged. But, it seemed they had recruited a new member, better than all of her predecessors combined. And when she suddenly stopped showing up as much, Olc knew... something important was keeping her above ground. A human this strong wouldn't have been incapacitated for as long as she had been gone. And there it was, proof. A child, and a man in her life now. He was so close to stealing away her happiness he could almost taste it. His tongue ran across his teeth, feeling the sharp ebbs and flows and envisioning his teeth crashing down into her flesh and tearing her apart. All of them. But his carnal desire needed to be held back, at least until he could get a better plan laid out. After seeing her destroy so many of them, he knew this was beyond a direct confrontation. He'd need his plan to work...

He studied the area a bit longer, as the child ran off to the sound of the woman calling to her. As she ran into the waiting arms of his enemy, and then into the arms of the other human. Olc's eyes narrowed in suspicion. He could sense the man was strong... but not in the same way as his human friend. It was his time to leave he decided, and he grinned toothily down at the Junimo's who were shaking and waving their hands in an attempt to put a barrier between he and the farm. It may have held him back for a bit, but it wouldn't take him long to tear them all apart too... but to keep from much suspicion he refrained with not a little restraint.

"I'll be back." Olc snarled, and grinned at them before retreating back, and down into his people's refuge. Despite this, the little creatures stayed by the forest's edge, a wordless agreement resonating through them all to protect their newfound home as much as possible.

As you can see, things are going to be taking a turn. I've been thinking maybe I should put more of a description of what this story is going to be about in the description but I'm not sure. Let me know? Or any feedback is more than welcome. :) Thank you for reading and following!

For the second part, I was listening to Acid Rain by Lorn if anyone wants a "mood" to the section.


	9. Bettering

Bettering

The week went on, more comments from Pam as he walked Jas to Penny every day for sure, but they softened and took on a new tone as time passed.

"How was your day?"

"How's our Laura doing?"

"Have a good morning you two!"

And Penny and her mother had begun to exchange I love you's at the bus stop. This was of not much consequence to Shane, but it seemed to lift up the spirits of Jas and Vincent, who whooped "Hello Ms. Pam!" each time they came back from school, and when he was a bit late they were always chatting together, and Penny seemed to mind less and less when he was tardy. Not that she ever really even "minded" it. She was passive and quiet, the former which had always been Shane's favorite trait about her.

 _Must be giving up the booze_... Shane mused as he walked into the little clearing of the bus stop, and found he was a little bit early. Laura had been fussing with tree grafting for the last week and barely had any time to chide Shane for working so much later than he necessarily needed to. A Franken tree was in her sights, having already grafted an apple tree to grow pears as well, her explanations of the grand Franken tree were explained exuberantly over every dinner. Her cheeks perpetually reddened from the toiling she did every day in the sun.

"Oh, hey Shane! Bit early today, kid. Just wanting to catch up with your ole friend?" Pam asked, smiling at him so largely her eyes almost shut, exposing more of the gaudy purple eye shadow.

"Sure, Pam." he responded, leaning back and against the fence post and chewed on the inside of his cheeks a habit he'd formed after becoming sober, and always around triggers. Pam being one of them.

"Yeaaah I knew it. And hey! We got two sober losers standing here." she laughed, causing a flare of anger to boil up in Shane.

"Fuck off, Pam- just cause I-"

"Whoa whoa! You're not hearin' me right, kid. Just sayin' I've been layin' off the brew!" and she continued to chortle as he scoffed and ground the toe of his foot into the dirt, his brow furrowed a little.

"Well... that's good. Glad I don't have to smell your stinkin' beer breath anymore. Set me off big time for a cold one." and he looked up and smiled half heartedly at her.

It did make him happy, to hear that she was shaping up. Jas loved Penny, Penny loved Pam, and he loved Jas- this town was too small to not be incredibly interconnected and he had to admit he preferred when the townspeople were happy. Especially since he'd discovered the quality of giving a shit.

They continued to laugh and joke a bit, making a few jabs almost like the couple times they'd been drunk enough and the last two in the bar to sing a few songs off the juke box. And then aggressively telling Emily to never speak a "fuggen swerd" about the late night karaoke. Which she always happily agreed, his one real friend besides now Laura. And he could almost include Pam in the mix. They quieted down as Penny approached, who seemed a little concerned, and she didn't need to say anything. Pam and Shane both knew she was worried they might both be drunk somehow. But instead of scowling at the ground like Shane immediately did Pam waved and grinned.

"Hey Penny! Good day with the rascals? So proud of my daughter!" she almost hollered, causing a quick brightening in Penny who was obviously not used to her mother's sober praise.

"Yeah, they both did well." she said as the kids both cheered.

"Learned about transparent, opaque, and tranlu... uh..." Jas faltered.

"Translucent!" Vincent finished for her triumphantly, pulling down on Penny's arm and jumping up and down, looking as though he'd pull the appendage from it's socket, but Penny only winced slightly and laughed a little.

"Yes, we did a lot of learning today. And Jas did very well, even read a bit of Winnie the Pooh today for us." she said, and Shane beamed a rare grin gracing his face, and Jas quickly ran over to him.

"May we check a book out someday Uncle Shane?"

"Of course we can, Jas." he responded, and held out his hand for her to take. "Well- thank you Penny- we'll see you Monday."

"Sure, tell Laura we say hello." Penny said softly, smiling, and nodded as Jas told her thank you and skipped alongside her Godfather, and they both waved good bye to Vincent, who stuck his tongue out at her, and Pam, who waved back cheerily.

* * *

Laura had just about finished dinner when they came home, and she smiled at the two of them cheerily, pushing around the sausage and lentils with finely chopped fennel. Jas bounded up next to her, taking a deep inhale of the food cooking in the cast iron and let out a long content, "Mmmm!"

"Would you and Shane mind helping me set the table?" Laura asked, smiling at Jas who nodded happily. Laura noted again how much more excitement Jas seemed to have now that she knew her better. Jas turned expectantly to Shane, who moved forward, Jas scuttled out of the way and Laura moved only slightly as he pulled the plates down from the shelf. They touched momentarily and glanced quickly at each other, sending a slight blush to Laura's already heated cheeks. And she could have almost said she saw his face redden slightly too but... she couldn't be too sure. He turned quickly, and handed the plates to Jas, and then reached back for cups just as speedily, and was helping his goddaughter set up the table before Laura could ask him about how the pick up went.

Soon, they were all at the table, Jas chattering away about Vincent trying to break the little piece of glass Penny had brought to demonstrate their lesson that day. When asked what he was doing, he'd responded that he'd seen it on the TV, making Jas laugh and laugh. Even at the table she was still giggling at the memory of Vincent screeching in the museum, drawing the ire of Gunther. Laura listened to her story intently, glancing over at Shane to see him smiling, face calm, at Jas as she regaled them. She glanced over at him more than a couple times, and one of those times, they both seemed to have looked at each other at the same time. For her, time froze for just a moment longer than the second they looked at each other. A blush creeped over her all the same.

For a woman who not long ago was hacking away at the slimes and undead, she sure did fluster easy... she cursed herself often. Shane was so out of reach. Not only because as he firmed up and stood straighter, more women in town were seeing him with fresh eyes, but because he just wasn't one who seemed to become emotionally attached to... almost anyone. Besides his family. But she couldn't help but think that he might be taking that extra moment to look at her too, as if he may have been stealing glances in between her own.

Once Jas finished up she scampered away to take a bath, drawing it herself now. Leaving Shane and Laura at the table, eating the last bites of food quietly.

They both opened their mouths to speak, only a tiny part of a word coming out before they both clammed up again. But now they were looking at each other, and this time, neither averted their gaze. As though soaking in the feeling that permeated out from each other, unaware that both were feeling that strange mix of emotions. Confused. Finally, Shane spoke.

"Thanks, Laura. Really. I've told you already but... Jas really likes it her and... so do I." it sounded like the last bit of his sentence took a bit of a push to say, and Laura felt herself become flattered.

"Oh! I'm, I'm glad you two have come. Started to get a little lonely just me and Ooma here..." Laura laughed nervously, scooting a lentil around her plate that she now stared at.

"I love having you guys here." and she cringed at that L word. It wasn't like she was saying she loved /him/ just his and Jas' company... but it created inner turmoil in her anyway as Shane nodded and smiled back. Still looking as though smiling was a second language as far as facial expressions went. Deciding to continue chatting, Laura began speaking about the farm and the turning of the crops that would be happening sooner than later with fall approaching, and they together laid out a quick plan out loud, bringing it together quickly and went about the rest of their evening, content and quietly enjoying each other's company.


	10. Situational Awareness

Another normal day, as summer gave into fall's embrace- Jas was in class with Penny, Ooma lazily peered from her perch on a fence post, and Shane and Laura were in the hoop house, picking the last of the tomatoes as the plants were already giving way to the beckoning of autumn.

Their work was a quiet one, moving quickly enough, buckets filled, placed into a wheelbarrow with that metallic clang, on and on. Laura focused intently on her work. The evening before had been almost too much stimulation already to take too many glances at the man working just across the bustle of vines. A social introvert, she'd heard herself being called, she had no problem with people but just never found much of a need or reason to be out and about. The one boyfriend she had had grew tired and impatient with her resistance to furthered intimacy and eventually left her in pursuit of more voracious women. Probably searching for an opposite of her bordering on prude-ish ways. It had been a sting but nothing she couldn't get through. Plus, by the time he had left she was already starting to prepare for her trek out into Pelican Town. Where a new man with a much stronger hold on her heart was waiting.

Her face flushed. _Well, not waiting... existing I guess._ and her eyes peaked up quickly to Shane. Years of knowing each other and she still didn't know too much about him. Her brief foray into his life before Pelican town had been a tragic tale to hear, it was clearly wrought with no less than a few grave trials. Her own, was much more narrow. It was only now that her horizons had begun to expand really, and new adventures were unfolding every step she took, and her hands reached and grabbed for that feeling, of feeling adequate and on the edge, surveying quickly the challenges ahead and then bursting forward towards them. But before all this- she was just Laura. Two parents, only child, suburban life. Childhood was normal for her- happy. Summers were spent in Pelican town, and she went to a fairly good school and had normal grades. Suddenly, it was all she wanted to talk to him. See how long he'd been here in town, she was 25 and she was unsure how old he was... quite possibly...

"Shane... how long have you lived here in the valley?" she asked, her small smile coming over her again, and she only made eye contact briefly, and honestly, was expecting him to give an irritated response. To her surprise he said,

"Well... Jas is almost 8 now so, about 7 years." surprising Laura. She'd been in town exactly a year before her job at JojaMart sucked away her life, eventually leading to her permanently staying here. But she didn't remember seeing him on her 18th summer there...

"Oh, you've been here for a while then... You know, you and I may have crossed paths, a summer 7 years ago."

"I doubt it." he said, a bit of hostility edged at his voice but he sighed, circled his shoulders and went on while picking tomatoes. "You may have seen how drunk I always was when you first got here... Well... Obviously since you dragged me off that cliff edge and stuff..." She blushed at this, "But it was much worse when I first showed up. I just... Couldn't handle it. I was weak. And I didn't work so I just holed up in my room at Marnie's and drank everything away. I mean life had been rough my whole life. For me and my sister." he was speaking so much more than usual, Laura noted, but kept her lips tightly sealed so as not to scare off his words

"But she took it all in stride. She was always the one to keep us going. After all those foster families, and when things went really bad, all those shelters." his eyes glazed a bit as he thought of this. "But then she met Mike. I don't know what it was. I've gone crazy thinking... But I can never pin it down." He sighed deeply, continuing to move and pick. "He was shitty. Always cheating on her, calling her names, but then begging her to stay when she tried to leave. Manipulative fucking asshole. We'd had plans to leave for Marnie's. But as they kept falling through I told her I was leaving. Moving across Zuzu city, I can remember Mike's shit eating fucking grin." His hand sunk too deeply into an over ripe tomato, but he shook off the remnants and kept moving and talking. "She got pregnant soon after, still wouldn't leave him and so we lost touch. Last time I heard from her was when she was in labor and that they couldn't find Mike... I raced there as fast as I could..." Laura couldn't tell if it was tears or sweat that streaked his face, but guessed it to be both, her brow furrowed deeply. "She was dead when I got there. And Mike never showed." He had begun to visibly shake "I let her die. I failed her. I was supposed to be there for her but I fucking wasn't." he had reached to grab a tomato but when a pull still had it clinging to the vine he left his hand there shaking.

Laura reached out, unsure of the proper thing to do, and cupped her hand underneath his. There were so many things she desperately wanted to say and do. To come crashing through the vines, grab him and embrace him in a burst of red and green, to comfort him and tell him how he was a good father to Jas, and much better than Mike ever could've been. But she didn't. She wasn't sure where her boundaries were, and her slight timidity held her back.

"I'm sorry." was all she said, and he only nodded, once again looking at her while she looked back at him. Eventually he pulled his hand away, and her chest fell, feeling entirely unsure of herself and her actions but also worried for him. It had happened so long ago, but she was sure the entire situation still affected him greatly. There was no going back now though, she knew the moment was gone to be a comfort, and his tenseness returned. Soon enough the tomatoes were harvested, and they split off again to finish their work alone.

* * *

 _I did not say all that. Why would I tell her ALL of that? You fucking weirdo._ Shane berated himself and had continued to the rest of that day. After picking up Jas, she had immediately begun to beg for a Friday movie, which, given that he wasn't in the mood to talk or stew in his room he was even more eager to agree than usual.

It was mainly Jas who did the talking when they got home, Laura already almost finished with dinner and so they sat fairly quietly eating. After, Shane cleaned up, and Laura moved to the living room giggling with Jas as they went through some of the VHS tapes she had brought on the move from when she lived at Marnies. Eventually they picked out a movie, The Smallest Sea Turtle, which Shane had seen about 12 times but was his God daughter's favorite movie so he kept seeing it.

Soon enough, they settled down to watch, and his heart clenched hard as Jas insisted that he and Laura sit close together with Jas on the other side of him because "they were a family now". He was unsure and paranoid that she could tell that his breathing was weird. Sitting so close to her made him ultra aware of it, and somehow it was almost as though he forgot how to do such a basic act. Still, he trudged onwards with what felt like ragged breath, and they watched their movie in more or less peace.

"Miss Laura! This is my favorite part!" Jas borderline shouted. Shane felt her start a bit, and turned to see her lids heavy, but with that crinkle of a small smile, that little gap in her teeth somehow a bit endearing all of a sudden.

"Wow! You know, this might end up being my favorite part too." the exhaustion edged her voice, but the enthusiasm to entertain Jas rang above any of it, which earned an excited beaming expression from the child and they carried on watching. And Laura's eyelids carried on sinking lower and lower.

A soft touch on his shoulder, and long dark hair suddenly swept across his chest, and he tensed, realizing that Laura had, eventually, fallen asleep. He started, dumbfounded, as she sighed in what he thought might be contentment. Inside, alarm bells were going off left and right, and next to him, a type of alarm almost sounded, as Jas whipped her head to look at Laura and exclaim another fact, but as she saw what was happening, she bolted upright off the couch, bewilderment and then joy coming across her features. Young as she was, she was extremely perceptive and he ground his teeth together a bit as she put one finger over her lips, and ran off to her room, leaving him alone with what was sure to be an awkward encounter.

But as the movie went on, and he became more relaxed with what he realized was a heavy sleeper, Shane began to enjoy the feeling of her laying against him, tension releasing from him muscle by muscle. It wasn't long before he was looking at her, taking in her features in a way he rarely ever permitted himself to do... not only to Laura but to anyone. A man of few interactions, this was by far the most intimate he'd been with someone in years since arriving to Pelican town, he'd had his few charades out into Zuzu City, typically finding his way into a bed through many beers but it was self love usually for him, with a quick following of self hatred. This, though, was sweet, he had to admit. Her quiet breathing, little sighs, and the weight of her against him, it was something he could become accustomed to.. and as his mind wandered a bit further it recoiled.

What was he even thinking? He wasn't entirely sure, was he entertaining the idea of a relationship? Of something less significant? Friendship? There were a lot of complications rushing through his mind, it all seemed... just too far out of reach. Yeah, Laura stared at him a lot, but he imagined with her time frequently being only with chickens and cows- of course she'd be staring at any non-plant, non-animal around. He was sure she thought he didn't notice but he wasn't stupid.

She roused a bit, digging her face closer into his shoulder, her breath now hot against his upper pectoral, and he felt an involuntary shudder in his groin. This couldn't keep going, he had to get her into bed, but even that thought had his body reacting in ways he desperately wished it wouldn't. Laura was his boss and roommate, and there was a professional relationship to uphold, and even then, how would he ever know if she was even interested? He'd definitely describe her as a social introvert, and doubted it would ever be information she'd pass up willingly. If it was even a way she felt. A feeling she might have, that he wasn't even sure what the name of was. His genitals had their obvious reactions to the situation. His mind, though, was far from made up, and confusion still reigned as a chaotic windstorm within him.

Eventually, the need to put her to bed and get to sleep himself won over, and very slowly he edged his shoulder from underneath her head, replacing it with his arm under her back, and his chest supporting under her cheek, and with as quick and smoothly an action as he could, his arm swept up under her legs, and he lifted Laura up, gripping her bridal style and as carefully as possible. She felt delicate in his arms, but his movement against her muscle, as he walked her to her room, didn't give way to soft and feminine skin but hard and muscled, not what he was expecting but he wasn't sure why. A woman known to traverse through abandoned mines? Mingle with the adventurer's guild? Carry out on her own farm alone for such a long time? Of course her body would harden to the elements that battered at it. That deep seeded jealousy poked it's head out, but in a way that almost made him chuckle. Only recently had he developed more muscle and tone- but Laura had probably become this way very soon after arrival, and continued to only become stronger and stronger.

Thankfully, her room was unlocked, and he breathed a sigh of relief, he'd been worried about some idiotic blunder, like knocking her head against the door jam or dropping her in his fumble for the handle. Just a soft push at the door with his foot and he was inside what was surprisingly a sparse room. Thread bare rug, metal bed frame with a twin bed, blue comforter, single dresser, and a nightstand with a little red alarm clock that looked as though it had been with her since childhood, just in the chipped paint and obvious impeding corrosion. Shane looked down again at the woman still asleep in her arms, and eventually pushed the comforted over with his elbow, and laid her down into the bed's embrace, pulling the covers around her and before he could stop himself, he reached out a hand and swept her hair from her face gently. Sucking in his breathe he cursed himself, but was relieved when she didn't even stir. Why would she though? With all the rest of the movement she hadn't woken up either... but he could swear he saw a slight upwards tick of the corners of her mouth. But it could be his mind playing tricks. Either ways, it was nice to see and he looked at her for only a couple moments longer before backing out of her room and heading to his own, feelings still confusing, but knowing his heart felt warm.

* * *

 **Notes:** Thank you for your continued readership! Feedback spurs me forward! The next chapter will be a bit different in tone and feeling, so hopefully I can make the transition comfortably.

I'll hopefully update a little more regularly, and for a week in June I'll have more time to work on this too, finished this up while making a cheesecake that failed spectacularly! If you wanted continued cuteness I suggest looking at the Kitchen Vignettes put up by PBS, so cute! Hope ya'll are doing well!


	11. Delicate Confessions

Windows shut, doors locked, animals back in their homes, Shane had done his nightly check of the fences. The day had been good, work had gone on as normal and over the time that Shane and Jas had come to live with her, life had become almost predictable again. Well, except for the being taken to bed by the man she feared she was in love with. A man she knew it was a bad idea to fall for, but the years of knowing him... it was something she had come to accept. And repress. Light footsteps followed by heavier ones signaled that Shane was following Jas to her room to read her a good night story book, probably Outside Over There again, one of Jas's favorites but one that kinda wigged Laura out, even with all her experience monster slaying. Something about a child being stolen just upset her more than most things.

Tip toeing, she crept over to the bedroom door, intent to listen to Shane's soothing voice reading a tragic story, Jas shocked gasps sounding even though she'd heard the story so many times. It made Laura chortle quietly each time but marvel at the little girl's ability to grasp such tough emotional concepts. But with a life surrounded by so much tragedy, it seems that she had enough life experience to understand trauma when it struck even in a fictional world. It was tough to even recount Shane's experiences, it broke her heart and made her feel selfish for having that feeling, because she hadn't even gone through what he had. What right did she have to almost revel in his despair? Even though she knew she didn't love him to fix him- the desire to was still there, and it was hard to admit. Her mind had begun to wander and reflect, so much so that she didn't make her sneaky get-away in time before Shane quietly opened the door and came inches away from her face. Time once again seemed to slow by a few seconds, and his eyes seemed to her like knives piercing through her.

"Sorry, I'm... I'm sorry about that." she breathed, and as he shut the door behind himself it pushed him closer to her, with her taking a step back, but then stopping. They both stayed still, but Laura looked at the door and then back at Shane.

"She's asleep." he said quietly and she only nodded in response. And as if she'd moved beyond self doubt for a moment she uttered words that she feared were going to be the end of her working relationship with Shane.

"You... Shane... you mean a lot... to me." and raising herself up on tip toes that had gotten her here in the first place, she kissed his scruffy cheek lightly and quickly. But as her heels hit the floor, her cheek warmed to the placement of his hand, and her lips were met ever so softly with his. Rigidly, she stood- a fortress tumbling to the ground in shock and awe that her actions were being reciprocated so... so much so. He pulled away much too soon leaving her literally breathless and blushing deeply. There was apprehension that was thick in the air as they went back to their staring. Something neither seemed to grow tired of.

"You mean a lot to me too, Laura. It's... honestly taking me by surprise." he admitted, eyes lidded heavily as he looked down at her, further down to the floor, and then back up to meet her gaze once again. Laura sputtered a little, unsure of what to say, but settled for wrapping her arms tentatively around his waist, pressing her cheek against his chest, startled to hear it beating against his chest so hard. It made her smile though, to know he may feel just as nervous and unsure as she did. His arms came to encase her too, and it was all she could do to not give into the desire to just keep leaning into him and holding him tighter until she hoped they just melded together in that way lovers do. Blushing a little more deeply she whispered,

"I'm really glad. It makes me so happy to hear..." and she pulled away to look back up at him. There was a weight of desire, to kiss a second time, but as neither made the move they eventually pulled apart completely.

"Well..." she started.

"Yeah... busy day tomorrow." he agreed, without her needing to vocalize her own thoughts. She smiled up at him and to her extreme surprise, he smiled back down at her. It was dizzying to say the least, the surge of warmth that ran through her body and dove into places she rarely had time to think about. Her cheeks turned a different shade of scarlet, that wound it's way down into her neck and chest, her body flush with feelings rarely felt.

Eventually, she nodded, and turned to walk away, but not without giving another glance over her shoulder to peak at Shane who was still watching her go down the short hall to her door, as his was right next to Jas's.

"Good night Shane."

"Good night Laura."

And their doors clicked shut quietly, hers first, and his shortly after and though inaudible to either of them- they both sighed sighs of pleasure and desire and fear. The flowers between them were opening to blossom.

* * *

There were only smiles and blushes to be had the next morning, which Jas quickly picked up on and grinned each time she saw one of them glance at each other.

 _They're so cute... if only..._ she thought, a mind's sigh at the thought of Vincent so in love with Penny in that childish way children do. Something had to have happened the night before, she was young but she just knew it. People got red in the face only for a few reasons she'd observed, and Uncle Shane only ever got red when he was mad so far. But he wasn't mad when he looked at Laura and his face still became red... so Jas could only put two and two together one way.

As soon as her breakfast was done she looked up to see her Godfather still working on his plate... not very normal as usually he was the first one done. She giggled, and took her plate to the sink, setting it down with a bit of fanfare to alert Shane to her finishing. He barely noticed, but Laura happened to.

"Oh- Jas- hey, um, Shane- I'm actually done with breakfast and while you're working on yours, I can take Jas to meet Penny." Laura offered, and Jas flashed a grin. Shane saw her smile, and with a bit of thought, nodded.

"Yeah, if you wanna go with her, Jas." he said, and smiled a little as Jas jumped up and down.

"Great! Well, Jas please go grab what ya need and we'll be off." Laura said, and grabbed her sun hat while Jas ran off to get her notebook. She was excited, to walk with Miss Laura, maybe even get some information from her...

And soon enough they were out the door, walking in a compatible silence. A quiet that was abruptly ended by her own insatiable desire for answers.

"Miss Laura?"

"Yes Jas?"

"Are you and Uncle Shane going to get married?" there was a reaction she was expecting, of a loving sigh or dreamy eyes, but what she got was flustered sputtering.

"Wh-what? Why uh... why do you ask that?" Laura asked, her typically calm demeanor shattered and Jas could only giggle at this.

"Uncle Shane is in love with you. And you guys are always looking at each other all... weird." she said, grinning at her companion's growing embarrassment. They neared the bus stop, and it was clear they were as Jas could hear Pam crow a "Good morning" before a loud whistle.

"Well Farmer Laura! You and Shane taking turns now? Must be getting serious!" and she raised her brows suggestively at the woman. She giggled, Miss Pam had always been silly, sometimes a little scary when she was younger with her bright eye shadow and gruff voice, but soon enough she realized that she was as harmless as her daughter. Jas was always wondering how a loud woman could have such a quiet daughter, but she loved Miss Penny dearly.

"Oh uh... no nothing like that just... Shane was a little busy so I offered." Laura responded, but when Pam looked at Jas, Jas winked at her, a wink more like an embellished blink. Pam roared with laughter, and Laura was left to blush and look down, but was saved by Miss Penny.

"Oh, Farmer Laura- it's good to see you!" Penny spoke, seeming to be genuinely happy to see the other woman, and Jas looked between the two women and smiled. Of course they would get along well, they were both nice to her. She grabbed Laura's hand and tugged a little on it, bringing her down to her height, and then hugged her tight around the neck, happy to feel Miss Laura return the embrace.

"I hope you guys get married." she whispered into the farmer's ear. And then pulled away to smile largely at her, and skipped off to Miss Penny. They all said their versions of "have a good day" and Jas went off with Miss Penny and Vincent, each on either side of their teacher. She turned around at the bend to see Laura still patiently standing there, and waved at her, and Jas waved back gleefully.

* * *

 **Notes:**

 **There's always a calm before the storm. Things get a little more intense after this, I've decided to split this story into two parts(this part still has more to go- with the possibility of a completely different ShanexFarmer fic being done before "finishing" this one. A much more dark and AU than this one, kinda riffing off the fairy tale Vasilisa the Brace and Baba Yaga. This chapter is for Avery by the way, I hope this small interaction is enough to sate! Thank you for reading! I appreciate the reviews and support so incredibly much. I would never have made it this far! I hope to improve slowly over time, it's such a fun hobby.**


	12. Outside Over There

"Jas, be sure not to go to far!" Shane called out, eyeing as Jas jumped around near the western edge of the farm, closer and closer to where the fireflies clustered in the tree line. He was always feeling at least slight anxious about his niece, after years of being either buzzed, drunk, or hung over, his feelings of concern were felt with more strength now-a-days.

Laura smiled at him, and he knew she liked his fatherly concern for his niece, it had him smiling back at her slightly. Their hands were just inches from each other, gripping the seat of the bench, warmed by the fire crackling in front of them. His mind went back to their kiss, and his face reddened, but decided to grip onto that feeling and look right at her. The little suck in of her breathe had his chest clench tightly, and he leaned in closer to her, as thought it was gravity pushing on him, or a magnetic force bringing them involuntarily closer. Not that he'd be resisting even if that were the case.

A little shout shook him from that trance, and had her head turning quickly too he noticed. Jas had fallen over a root, but was giggling happily, the noise was like music to his ears even now, knowing that Jas was happy living with him made giving up the booze so much easier. But despite the laughter warming his heart, he still frowned a little, not that she'd make out his stern face.

"Jas, come on. Come back closer to the-"

She was gone. It happened all at once, and he was on his feet without even realizing it and surging forward in the next breath. Time slowed down, because one moment she was there, dusting off her dress, and the next moment an empty space. But he'd seen. In that split second, something dark and rippling like a fire had grabbed her and disappeared into the woods.

Tunnel vision almost immediately set in, and he was barely aware of the noise he made. Not a scream or yell but something else almost animal that caught in his throat as it tore it's way up and out. It was supposed to be her name, but instead it was just a sound of anguish and fury. It was such a brief few seconds but everything was happening at once.

Then it was all light, and the sounds of whining and almost screeching were borderline deafening, the light certainly blinding. There wasn't much of a sight, but rather a feeling of someone or something continuing past him, he felt the pressure change an air minutely, his other senses so disabled. Shane fell to his knees for a moment, hands on the ground but unable to see it, eyes blinking furiously and desperate for the white light to dissipate. He looked up, and within all this light he could see her. Jas, furiously kicking and wordlessly screaming, writhing and contorting her body to try and squeeze out of the death grip some shadowy creature had on her. Nothing could be heard though over the high pitched screeching, and the figure seemed to be slashing through the light, and the noise rose a slight decibel with each torrential swipe the thing made, the light seeming to flicker almost. Shane scrambled to his feet, and was off running again, only then realizing that Laura was already quite a bit ahead of him, movements coming off as strong and determined, somehow he could see her too. There was no dwelling on his floundering though, with only one thing on his mind. Nothing was more important that saving his daughter.

"Stop! Put her down!" he roared, but it may as well have been nothing, even he could not hear himself, but felt the pain in his throat from the strong willed attempt.

And just as it had suddenly appeared, it was suddenly gone. The light dissipated and little squeaking noises were quickly dissipating, moving farther and farther away, and with it, his heart and hope that he'd be able to catch the thing that took his God daughter. Only a glow of light could be seen now, Laura's hand seemed to be holding a lightbulb of some sort, or at least it glowed like she was holding a small torch but with her arms swinging there was no way. He didn't bother to shout to her, just ran as fast as he could to catch up or at least keep pace. Pushing past the brush and over growth, this was a way he'd never been before, the people of Pelican town typically stayed out of the forest for respect of it.

Suddenly, a crack of purple lightning came down, throwing Laura completely on her back, and causing Shane to stagger a bit wheeling back forwards defensively. But before them now stood Rasmodius, his expression grim and firm.

"Stop." he bellowed to both of them, and Shane caught Laura struggling to stand up, but Rasmodius eyed her back down into a sitting position, and so she sat, knees under her head and arms wrapped around her legs looking defeated.

"This creature has already surpassed you both, and there will be no finding him tonight while he is in his element."

"It was a shadow brute." she murmured, almost so quiet he barely heard her. And it startled him, how could she know so easily what that... thing was? Was that a common thing? A monster that people didn't talk about now? The wizard was now closing his eyes, tight for a moment and sighed deeply.

"Yes." he said, "it was a shadow brute but... he is different from most."

"How is that?" Laura asked, and although Shane could see very little of her, the trembling gave away how upset she was. The voice coming from her though seemed steady for how much her shoulders quaked. Not that he was in any better shape, if it weren't for the anger seething through his veins he'd be much more jittery. But with years of alcoholism and rage came the ability to have a control of the shakes and voice crackling.

"The shadow beings have slowly devolved over the years, after being driven from their ancestral home they lost sight of who they were deep in those mines. With little light shadows blur, and so have their minds. They have become hungry for violence and aggression, with rarely the capacity for much thought beyond reproduction and bloodshed."

Shane was rapt, this was a foray into such uncharted territory. Little thought had been given to the mines, he believed little thought was given by almost anyone in town besides Marlon and Gil. The latter he'd never even met before and only heard of him.

"They why the fuck would they take her?" Shane demanded angrily, each word ground out sharply. Rasmodius glanced at him, and then back to Laura, his brows knit together only slightly more under that stupid fucking hat of his.

Rasmodius seemed to be talking exclusively to Laura, which put Shane on edge, but he stayed backed down as this seemed to be his own route to Jas. His eyes stayed pensive in annoyance though, and listened carefully.

"I've had my eye on him for a couple years now, I sensed his presence up on the surface many times but could not suss out what he was doing, if he was more like Krobus and friendly. Clearly though, his intentions were of ill."

"No fuck..." Shane breathed, hardly able to contain himself, but his lips came harder together after a strong eyed look from the wizard.

"You have not been to the mines in almost a year." the wizard finally mused, his attention back on Laura who nodded, grave. Shane perked up now at this. There hadn't been much a conversation of this between them, all he'd heard were rumors really.

"No... I've had... other things going on."

"You started something. It is clear now, and then never returned to tend to it. Choosing a life of an adventurer is life long, not just when it suits you. You've seen the things that lurk below us and hacked at the hornets nest." the wizard was staring at her hard as she hung her head in shame.

Bile and fury rose in Shane. _Has she done this? Messed with shit? And left it to fester? Invited me, invited JAS into her home and known the risk? All those moments, all those looks, how often had it been in the back of her mind? That something like this could have happened?_ he angrily thought. But by the way she looked... she probably hadn't at all. She hadn't thought of the consequences and now Jas was gone.

"I'll find her. I'll right it." Laura shakily announced, and he could hear now the quakes in her voice, and knew tears must be going. _As they fucking should be._

"This has moved beyond you. There is much to be done." intoned the wizard who now gazed up at a moonlit sky. "But you do play a part." Laura's shoulders shook harder, but with the loss of his God daughter, Shane felt very little sympathy. Only anger.

"I'll do everything I possibly can." and her voice took on a pleading tone.

"Do not grovel, Laura Serrano. This path will take everything that you have. You must be strong for it." he now looked directly at Shane. "And you as well, Shane Caldwell. To get back your God daughter." he paused before continuing. "There is much to discuss, and now is not the time. Get your rest for tonight, and meet me at my tower at dawn." and with the clap of his hands, he was no gone, just a cold breeze.

Laura now turned to him, but before her face was seen, Shane had turned, and headed back towards her home. His stride was long, and his expression grim at the continued thought that Laura somehow had a hand in his nieces capture.

"Shane!" Laura called out, pleadingly, and he heard her steps heavy as they ran to meet him. Eventually her hand came down on his shoulder at the forests edge but he angrily shouldered the touch off of him.

"Laura seriously. Don't talk to me right now."

"But please, I want to-"

"I don't really give a shit what you want. Not right now. Not with her gone so suddenly." he said, the boiling pot of his anger rattling the lid.

"I know, I just- I swear I-" but this was it, the fuse was so short. Stopping short he whirled hard and narrow to the point she almost slammed right into him, but he stared down as she looked up, their faces inches away.

"I fucking swear Laura! There is nothing on this fucking earth that I wanna talk to you about right now! Not your shit excuses, not your damn commentary! I don't want any of it! All I want is Jas to be back!" he howled at her, the pain evident in his voice, and with it were a wave of tears that stung at his eyes, though he kept them back just from sheer rage. He desperately wanted a drink, just behind the extreme need to have Jas back and tucked into bed safely, was the insatiable desire to drown this away. It was keeping him on edge because he knew that just wasn't an option if he wanted her back.

"Leave me the fuck alone. Seriously. I'm sure we'll have fuck tons of shit to figure out tomorrow." and he turned again, storming away, but without the sound of her plodding behind him. A small part of him wanted to turn back, at least a peek to see what her reaction was. And an even smaller part knew that he played a role in his nieces taking. But the anger trumped all and his pace continued back to the house, into the front door, and then into his room that now only seemed temporary with a slam of the door.

Sleep would be little to none tonight. For anyone.


	13. Treading New Ground

The beginning of dawn came almost too early. Laura had been squeezing her eyes shut all night, as though keeping them closed would block out the nightmare that had already unfolded, without her even needing to be asleep for it. Jas was gone... it probably was her fault... and Shane now hated her. With the moonlight dimming away, in came all the thoughts. Of a little girl's lifeless body, of Shane howling from a bottomless pit of rage and sadness, of the townspeople grieving over a grave, just below Mona's "Our beloved Jas" it would read. Laura screwed her eyes closed again. There was so much regret in her. But the regret needed, desperately, to be replaced with drive.

Eyes open again, she climbed out of bed and onto shakey legs, her body felt boneless and each movement gave the strain of unforgiving aches. That adrenaline high sprint towards Jas had taken a toll on her already and reminded her of how much less exercise she got with running and leaping specifically, now that it had been some time since her mine excursions. She pulled on clothes swiftly, her mind on one thing. And within a chest in the corner of her room, there it lay. A katana, red as though just pulled from the forge just seconds ago, and she closed her eyes for a moment. This was not going to be used to just protect her life, but to save someone's. And that terrified her. But with just another quick moment of reflection, she gripped the sword, slid it into it's scabbard, and flung it onto her back. The weight of it against her made her feel powerful and ready but with a sharp rapping on the door her fears resurfaced. But now with facing Shane.

Tentatively she opened the door, and peered up at Shane who looked in a stormier mood than ever before, for good reason.

"Let's get going." was all he said and she nodded, slinging her backpack onto her shoulders and leaving out the front door with him. The air had that slight crispness, the creeping in of changing seasons, it felt almost sad now where it was usually a relief to have a break from the heat.

They walked side by side in relative silence, and Laura dared not say anything to a clearly fuming Shane, but to her surprise he spoke up first.

"What the fuck was all that light?" he finally blurted out, and Laura's eyes widened a little. It had never occurred to him she would be explaining the Junimos. Frankly, it was a little weird to her that most of the townspeople seemed completely oblivious to them.

"I'm almost positive those were the Junimos-" she started.

"What the fuck is that?" he was clearly a little more prone to his favorite word than usual right now.

"Junimos… this is gonna sound weird maybe, but they're kind of like little sprites or spirits. I don't honestly know much about them, but they helped me rebuild the Community Center, and open the quarry, and fix the bus. Stuff like that... they also emitted this bright light each time I helped them with a task. It never made sense to me, and was always frightening. But they lived on the farm with me and I guess tried to stop that shadow brute from..." she could barely go on. And so she didn't, the lump in her throat so tight, like a vice clamping down, and tears immediately stung her eyes. Looking at Shane quickly she noticed dark purple circles under his eyes, and his hair and beard looked even more unkept than usual. Suffering was clear in his face.

"Will they bring her back?" he inquired, but his tone alerted her that he already knew the answer. His fists were balled tightly.

"I... don't think so. I don't think they'd make it far in the mines..." was all she could meekly say. Desperately she wished she could give him anything other than bad news and half known information. Really, she had no idea if they'd venture down there, but guessed they'd meet their match even with the slimes.

They were passing Marnie's house now, and Shane seemed to pointedly stare straight ahead. As they walked, Laura wondered. Surely it was only they and the wizard who knew of the tragedy for now, how long before the town realized? And went into a frenzy? What kind of panic would sweep through, and did many know or understand what lurked in the depths? Surely not, since they believed even the skeletons, hauntingly mobile, to be animatronic or controlled by thin wires.

"Shane... the mines... if that's where she was taken, it might be best if I-"

"No. Fuck now. I'm going with. I'm not an idiot. I know I need you to get me down there. But there is no way I'm not going to help find her." he nearly snarled at her, but his voice gave way more to just words edged in grief. She only nodded solemnly and they made the rest of their walk in silence.

When they finally came upon the Wizard's tower, Shane seemed a little unnerved, and Laura was sure he'd never been even this close to it, but she strode up confidently and with little fear to the door, knocked twice, and then opened the door. Just behind the green smoke and haze lazily coming from the great cauldron there stood the Wizard, stoney faced and contemplative. Glancing up at the two of them he nodded, and she shut the door behind them.

"Wizard Rasmodius." she said, nodding her head to him, and he nodded back. Shane, she noticed, kept his mouth shut now, probably trying to only get information and not cause any type of problem. Showed how grave the situation was to him, as he didn't even slouch like he normally did but stood up straighter than she'd ever seen him. It made him seem to tower over her, his looming presence a little more intimidating now that he'd suffered a great loss and a big reason directly involving her.

"Yes." the wizard began, and interlaced his fingers gracefully and nodded again but in thought. "I've been convening with the others..." she already knew not to ask about who the "others" were, the wizard always being so private. "And it seems as though Krobus may have the most answers. We talked for a while last night, and it seems this brute who took Jas is a bit more advanced. Krobus and I agree, the centuries since the Elemental Wars has caused most of the shadow brutes to become dull in mind as we discussed in the evening. Krobus, though, is another who has not and has ventured into the world." he now shifted to look at Shane, and spoke to him exclusively now. "Shane. Do not do anything rash. And do not be alarmed." and then the wizard gestured, and from the shadows came a dark and almost hazey figure, as thought it had no shape. But was almost indistinguishable from the thing that took Jas. Laura could feel Shane tense up, the veins in his arms looking as though they'd burst as he flexed his jaw and ground his teeth a little, she could hear it. In any other circumstance, Laura may have reached out a hand to try and comfort and calm him, but she knew better now. Krobus looked unsure, his shadowy hands seemed almost to twitch at his sides, and his expression was forlorn.

"Hello, Laura. It's been a while." and she could feel Shane glaring at her out of the sides of his eyes.

"Hi Krobus, I wish I was seeing you under different circumstances..." and he nodded in return, solemn.

"I, as well." but without saying anything more he pulled a ring from nothingness and held it out. Laura stepped forward, trusting him, and took it from him, assuming it was maybe another light ring, maybe a stronger one. But surprisingly, Krobus grabbed ahold of her hand, it was weird, almost like when you might tickle a feather on your palm and barely feel it. That was the sensation of his touch. And her hand open, ring inside, Krobus leaned forward suddenly, and stared down into her hand. She could hear a very faint shuffling from Shane, but not much beyond that. She was sure he was only struggling to keep still and silent. Even she was a little uneasy about what was going on. And soon she felt... water on her hand. She couldn't help but flinch mildly, before realizing... they were dark tears, falling onto the ring. Barely, she was able to make out what Krobus was whispering.

"Imencht gen techt acht." all of a sudden a bright blue light shot from the ring, so strong and bright and solid she almost thought it was a threat, but it went straight through Krobus's shadowy figure and continued North East. She stared in wonderment, and then her gaze rose to meet Krobus's hollow white eyes.

"You have traveled as deep as most can go. But there is more underneath. I sealed my way through long ago... but with the help of Wizard Rasmodius, you will be able to get under the 120th level through the sewers..." he seemed pained to say this. He released her hand, and looked over to the wizard who was staring at Shane.

"Your journey will start now. This will be done in secret, quietly. Linus will take care of your livestock and farm, and you two... three... will be said to have gone on a trip. I will take care of this. But the balance of the village will be thrown off for generations if they are to fully learn and understand the terrors underneath them." said the wizard, and they both nodded, as she stepped back to stand near Shane again. Krobus was staring at them both with an unreadable expression.

"The ring is a light, telling you where Olc is." Krobus now said, and the wizard waved his hands, and gloves appeared on her hands, covering the ring, and with it, the bright light. "Follow it when inside the mines, and it will lead you to your little one."

In unison, Shane and Laura nodded.

"Follow me." Krobus now said, and with a tilt of the head from the wizard, Krobus opened a hatch and disappeared inside. Laura unflinchingly followed, and with slight hesitation, Shane gave in and followed suit.


	14. Into the Under

Beneath the town, inside the sewers was somewhere Shane had never figured he'd go. Even in a drunken stupor, it had never crossed his mind, but even more so when Jas told him about her adventure to the grates near the beach with Vincent. He'd scolded her, and shuddered at how creepy it was, but then just moved on from it. But now, he was sure the thing she'd seen moving and moaning through the sewers was none other than the very creepy Krobus. Going down the hatch he half expected to see bodies strung up and Laura dead on the floor, having been taken out quickly and quietly. But- it was just an empty sewer, exactly as he'd expected it to look. A green haze leaking out from the walls that he had no interest in further thinking about. He looked at the very much alive Laura with new emotions lately. There was no denying... he still knew he had feelings for her. But they were muddled with the hurt, betrayal, and anger he felt towards her, but even those emotions he wasn't sure how justified they were...

"The wizard has already unsealed the entrance." Krobus told them, his large and empty white eyes never seeming to give away any emotion.

"What is it? Under the last level?" Laura piped up, asking what was so heavy on Shane's mind.

"My friends, my people... they wall themselves off, after humans had begun to explore into the mines again, they dug underneath the shafts where humans could not reach them. Until you had come back, they'd slowly started to climb back up and inhabit the mines but..." he stopped, looking over at Shane and then back at Laura, and Shane noticed Laura lowered her head a little bit. The shame evident, but he could barely bring himself to care as it related to his God daughter. Still though, it tugged unconsciously at his heart strings, and his hand very lightly brushed against hers, but almost in a way where it could easily be taken as a mistake. And he wanted it that way. It still elicited a response from her, as her head jolted back up again with a slightly scrunched face.

"It is very dangerous, but not anything you have not seen before, Laura. Are you willing and able?" Shane now looked hard at her, Yoba fucking help her if she said no. But she nodded solemnly, and seemed as though she was staring straight into Krobus's soul... if he had one. Krobus then nodded, and motioned once again for them to follow.

They walked over to a section of the wall, a dim light flanked by two grates. Krobus then put a shadowy hand over the light and pressed into it until there was no light at all. Slowly though, fissures began to arch downwards from his pressed hand, and it began to glow red. Then, the fissures started to brighten as his hand grew more firey, and he began to make noises... like something of pain. The color crept up his arm, and he saw Laura make a move forward but he grabbed her before she could reach out to the monster. There was no way in hell she was going to be messing with what could be getting them to his niece. And this thing was one of _them_ , so what did he care if it died? Helping them or not.

Slowly though, the light began to die back down, and soon, Krobus gave one great heave forward, and the rocks came falling away, opening up a view of what he feared. That pit of darkness, like he'd seen the one time he looked down the ladder that shot down through the mine. He shuddered, and he felt Laura tense up next to him, only Krobus seemed just as relaxed as before. But who knew if he'd ever know if the thing was feeling anything at all much less fear.

"Laura." they almost both said at once, and she jumped a tiny bit in her shoulders, before nodding and pulling the gloves from both hands. The ring on her right hand emitted a great luminescence and the one on her left shot out that beam of blue light.

Suddenly, Shane felt unsure, he'd go searching for her no matter what but what could he possibly find? Would it take hours? Days? Weeks? Would she have starved to death, somewhere in a corner desperate and scared? The thoughts wracked through him with intensity and he clenched and unclenched his hands attempting to calm down even a tiny bit.

"I'll seal up the entrance behind you. When you have her, speak my and the wizard's name into the ring and everyone must- MUST join hands. We will come to get you."

"Wait..." Laura suddenly said, and it caused a flare of anger to run through Shane. What could she possibly be delaying this for?

"Shane... I... before we go in. I just want to say. I've done this before and had close calls so... please follow my lead. But..." she seemed pained, he thought. "If something happens, and it is even slightly questionable that you couldn't save us both just leave me, and promise you won't come back." she stared deeply at him now.

This was surprising to him, and also caused him worry. How bad did this mean it was? But, he eventually nodded, returning her intensity in his own gaze, and with that, they stepped over the mess of broken brick and continued on into what seemed would most definitely be the new cause for nightmares.

* * *

As soon as they were past the jumble of stone, it began to crack and break further into dust, and with a sudden whoosh, it snapped itself back up right, and melded into the wall again, the shadow brute disappearing behind it. She took a deep breath.

Laura was ready, she knew she was, it had been years of venturing deep into the mines, fighting through monster after slime after ghost after lava bat. And with her sword on, she felt much more secure. She startled herself, not realizing that she hadn't given him a weapon, but felt relief course through her as she remembered it safely tucked in her bag.

"Shane." she said, getting his attention as she crouched down to pull out a dagger from her bag. "If I'm being honest... I had gotten these for you but... never thought you'd need to use them."

"What the fuck? That little thing? And when the hell did you get a katana?" he asked, his voice giving way to genuine surprise.

"I've had it. I prefer the range. That's a galaxy dagger but my hope is you won't use it." she said, her voice a little strained, and worried.

"You're gonna have to get over that. I'm getting to Jas as fast as possible and no way in hell I won't be doing what I need to do that." she nodded, a sadness in her eyes and passed him the dark purple blade. As it left her hand, she could tell the weight caught him a little off guard by the way his eyes widened.

Slowly, she stood again, as she watched him examine the blade and take a few quick practice swings. Having seen him slicing away on the farm, and making gentle suggestions then to improve his form, she wasn't too worried about his ability. But just... him in general.

He began to walk before she did, and she followed behind him, knowing that the slight control and charge over the situation might ease his flurried mind. The walls were a dark vermillion, and the air was thick and hot, and it wasn't long before she could feel the beads of sweat trickle down her face and back, and felt bad for Shane and his now thick beard. She'd actually assumed it would be a cooler temperature underneath the mines but how wrong she was. The katana on her back luckily stayed cool against her, and she wondered idly if it felt cool in its own sort of element.

"The walls feel like they're closing in..." Shane suddenly observed. And with a start she realized how true his statement was. With her thoughts so wrapped up and the gradual tightening she hadn't even noticed, but Shane's shoulders were coming closer and closer to the hot walls.

He turned and looked at her, with a slight question on his face. Asking, she knew, if Krobus had betrayed them. No, she reasoned, there was no way that the wizard would, and he seemed to not only watch- but know Krobus.

She was shaken violently from her ponderings when from just beyond Shane's frame she caught site of it, a red sludge. It's body roiling forward, oozing and leaking bits before careening short distances in the air. Her wide eyes alerted Shane, but before he turned she grabbed his arm and yanked him back and behind her in a quick motion, side stepping to get in front of him with a noise of protest from him that she ignored. It was too late, and it's last surge forward had it crash into her, knocking herself and the sludge back a few paces. And she felt it set in, that poison that shocked her system into a slowness, no matter how hard she stressed herself to keep moving forward. Her body pulsed with the color a few beats, and she could hear Shane's garbled shout, and now he had pushed his way back in front of her, charging at the thing. Fear shot her stomach to her knees and she tried to call out to him, but even her voice came out slower than normal, something she'd never even tried so had never experienced.

It was as though time slowed a bit too, as Shane got closer to the thing, but it wasn't long before he took his first deep slice, a goo splashing out from the monster's body and coating the wall with large chunks of the stuff. The sludge made a hissing noise, like quickly deflating a balloon, but kept charging forward at him, the jumps causing more of itself to leak out and trail behind it. Shane seemed unaffected by the sight, and stood his ground, and when it got close enough he rushed the short distance and slashed again, now the other way, and the creature screeched a high pitched noise, and burst- the light from it's eyes hovering in the dark for only a moment longer before dissipating like the rest of its body had.

He waited a moment, and then grabbed the side of the wall for support, his body clearly trembling, and he rolled a bit to let his back hit the side now, taking deep gulps of air which he must have been holding in out of fear.

"What... the... fuck..." he said, through deep breaths, and looked only briefly at Laura before staring back out where the sludge had charged with a new tension.

Laura had to keep herself from rushing forward and grabbing him. She remembered her own first experience finding a green slime, and that had been terrifying and difficult for her then- she was glad to have given him such a strong weapon now- because the slashing, although impressive, would have been nothing on a monster like this with a lesser dagger.

"I'm sorry, Shane I-"

"It doesn't matter, really. We just need to keep going... and hopefully this will widen back out... I still don't trust that... thing." and then he kept going. His grit, she knew, came from his passion for finding Jas, and getting her home to tuck in and read a book good night. This all seemed like a bad dream, it was so hard to believe that little girl had been scooped up and taken away only the night before. She'd been so sweetly jumping, catching fireflies, rolling in the grass, only a few yards from them too. It had felt so safe and serene. She felt a lot of guilt for even edging towards Shane that evening. Her attention should have been more closely focused on Jas, or she should have called her as well to come closer to the fire.

"It's widening again."

Once again, her mind had wandered and indeed- the walls had given them more room to breath. Was her absent mindedness because she was following? Because she kicked herself with the thought that she might miss another creature bounding towards them. Although she doubted Shane would after the run in with the first one. The widening gave her a sense of brief relief, it would have just been one more thing onto an already terrible situation, had Krobus betrayed them. But she'd known the... person...thing... for a while. It was so odd to her, that one could be so... human, while the other's seemed like nothing even close. Even more savage and wild than animals it seemed.

She glanced down at her watch, it was getting very late, and she felt it eat at her, and noticing Shane's pace- it was getting to him too. She began searching then, for something that they could take shelter in. Typically, the creatures did not get through rocks, and sometimes didn't even notice her when she hid in little alcoves. So the first one she saw, with rocks bordering it's outside she stopped and called to him.

"Shane... I know it may not seem like a plan but... we need to sleep and rest. Neither of us knows what will be ahead, and we need to be ready for what happens."

"We can make it." he said shortly. But she knew she needed to be firm.

"No, Shane. We won't- there are things much worse than that sludge you met." and that stopped him.

"Come one, we'll climb over these, and sleep over here, and as soon as one wakes up, we'll keep going." she promised, and Shane looked at her, the anger still burning, but it was smoldering and not as enraged. She held her breathe for a moment, but finally- he gave in.

"I just want to find her... as soon as possible." and she nodded. All too in agreement with that.


	15. Heart's Summations

They laid quietly, and Shane stared up at the cave ceiling in wonder and frustration. His stomach growled, despite his fruitless efforts to trick himself into feeling full. Thank Yoba Laura had brought her field rations with, and a single bite made him wonder how she could ever stomach them- especially on those hot muggy days while she was mulling about the farm. But he hadn't been up to talking to her, and so kept the thought to himself. Small and slow bites- and since they had no idea how long they'd be there, they had to limit to one for the night. She had mentioned keeping an eye out for cave carrots, but that she doubted they'd be down this far. He still held out hope.

His mind wandered to the... thing that had attacked him and he shuddered. Watching it lunge towards him was enough to keep him up at night even in the safety of his own home let alone in this mine. Then again, his "home" wasn't so safe after all. The whole reason he was in this nightmare was because of how unsafe his place of residence had been. Maybe he'd kick out that weird mouse and move into the place down near the cliff, south of Marnie's... it upset him that that seemed to be a better idea than returning to Laura's house.

A slight rustling, and he turned his head sharply, to see the back of Laura's head. Her dark hair tied up in a top knot, resting on her back pack. She'd asked him many times to use it, but after the umpteenth time, she relented and had laid to rest. It vaguely annoyed him- even with her restless throws- that she was able to sleep. How could she? When a child who had done nothing wrong was still out there in torture? Just catching fireflies one moment, and then gone the next.

Something odd came over him- and he just wanted to look at her face, for only a moment. Prove to himself that she was sleeping soundly enough, but also wanting to prove that she wasn't. Emotions were complicated these days for him...

But giving in, he pushed up from the ground and very delicately crept by her side, one arm over to the other side of her sleeping form, he peeked around to glimpse her face. And there it was, that expression. Deep anguish clearly marked her features, her brows creasing so hard that the skin became valleys where usually it still had that smooth plain of youth. Suddenly that urge to pinch her awake, to make her suffer with him was gone and replaced with an urge to comfort her, and also with a deep regretful shame that it took her suffering to make him feel that way. Continuing to stare at her, he realized slowly... she must not have known either of her mistake. A dumb thing to do in hindsight, but could he blame her? For being happy and giving into a passion? He closed his eyes for a moment, the stone in his stomach growing and weighing him down, and that almost visceral urge to turn and drown his sorrows in alcohol. But suddenly, that feeling went away with a sharp cry and a hard jab into his jaw knocking him back and down, his legs now laying over Laura's body, limp with a creeping blackness that nearly overtook him. He groped at the ground trying to feel for the assailant and maybe hold it down and get a few punches in and his fervor increased as he heard Laura begin to cry- she was the strong one in these caves! So panicked bile rose in his throat as he felt out hurriedly for danger. His vision began to clear though, and a ringing in his ears took it's place which in the relative darkness of the cave he wasn't sure was good or bad. Cool hands grabbed his wrists and pulled gently, and through the haze of sound he could hear it.

"Shane! Shane! I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry! I swear I didn't mean to!" the cries slowly sunk in, his vision and hearing continued to stabilize, and he looked up at his attacker with owlishly huge eyes. It was... a relief. So much of a relief that he began to chuckle, and once seeing her tear streaked face with a sincere look of fear and shock, he continued to chuckle just a bit louder.

"Fucking shit, Laura!" he said, but his tone was lightly jovial seeing as he wasn't _really_ being attacked and was surely not dead yet.

"Shane... oh my God, Shane... I'm so sorry." she repeated, obviously a record broken with surprise at what all had taken place. "I-I was having just... a bad dream... and reacted... Shane... are..." she seemed at a loss for words, and weirdly even to himself, Shane smiled at her.

"Yeah, I'm fine... remind me not to fuck with you. You scared the shit out of me... I thought we were dead for sure." he stared at her, feeling relatively fine but with a throbbing soreness in his jaw. That'd bruise for sure... but he'd taken punches before, just probably not as hard. She was sitting upright, and feeling a lightness from the sudden change of realities, he laid his head down on the pack and gave into his earlier urge. It was still hot, but laying down was cooler, the heat rising and leaving the ground almost a good temperature.

Laying out his arm, he motioned with his hand, and noticed now it was her eyes to widen quite a bit.

"I... what?" she must have still been confused from just waking up. It was clear, she probably never had had these experiences and slept down in the mines. He recalled Sebastian making note at the bar that Laura always returned after a full day down there and passed him to say hello while he smoked by the lake. And only once did Harvey mention that she'd been seen in his clinic after Linus found her passed out in the cave. A little strand of jealousy zipped through him, remembering what Lewis had told him. But what a nightmare that must have been... to be knocked unconscious in these caves. Clearly, she was no trained assassin, more a self taught fighter...

"Come here, I think I deserve the pack right now but..." he trailed off, and smiled a little as her face bloomed into that faint upturn of a returned expression. From her seated position, she crawled over to him, and laid down her head onto his chest. He closed his eyes and felt his heart pulse with the injury to his jaw, a little quicker with the contact, but that urge earlier to comfort her was no fulfilled.

"I'm sorry Shane." she said again, and he smoothed her hair in a comforting way.

"It's okay, Laura." and they both stayed quiet after that, one after the other creeping off into slumber that both desperately needed no matter how much their minds may have protested it.


	16. Depravity Ended

Slowly, Laura's eyes opened to a sight she didn't think she'd see, not after everything that had happened. Shane was also looking down at her albeit blearily. After his eyes, she noticed a huge, dark purple bruise that sprawled out along his jaw, deforming and swelling the usually sharp feature.

"Oh! Good morning Shane... uh... sorry again about last night." she sheepishly apologized, that aching feeling of wrong doing swallowing up her fear of being still in that cave. Shane just groaned a little, stretching his arm up above his head, and rubbing gently at his jaw. They both winced a little, as a waft of body odor came over both of them, but neither addressed it so as to save face. Laura knew she was also suffering from it, and made note to keep her arms down unless necessary. Smells didn't air out well in this dank, stuffy cave.

"Don't worry about it." he muttered, a little bit back to his old self, and she wondered if he might be suffering a concussion for real, but addressing it would surely cause more of a problem than the one at hand. Besides, they were running on time they weren't sure they even had.

"Hey, let's just get going." he finally said, and picked up the galaxy dagger, turning it in his hand, the dim light bouncing off the blade. Laura watched him, hopeful that things might be turning around, that maybe they'd find Jas and everything would be okay. Soon, they took off, walking fast down the tunnels that continued to expand and contract as they went.

They came into contact with a few other monsters within the cavernous walk, and even, to her great shock, a sleeping shadow brute, something she'd never seen before and wasn't sure she knew was possible. Before she had gotten a chance to say anything, Shane had jumped on the thing, ripping off its wooden mask. It shrieked and garbled out nothing words like most of the brutes did, reaching for a staff that had once been within it's grasp. But he kicked it away, and plunged his dagger deep into the chest, it's shadowy body writhing and contorting before dissipating out into nothing. It left Laura stunned, and her wide eyes met his as he stood, sweat dripping from the exertion and adrenaline. The ordeal had her wondering if he'd been down here before, but knew there was no way. It was simply the extreme need to get his Goddaughter back. She decided to keep her mouth shut about it, and kept plugging along.

It wasn't much longer before there was an uphill portion of the cave, and they reasoned that their situation was about to change greatly. Pausing and tucking themselves into a little cranny of the wall she opened her bag and passed him a small bomb which he took hesitantly.

"Just in case there's more than we thought. But once you drop or throw it... run." she whispered to him, both their gazes darting upwards to be sure nothing was suddenly approaching.

And with a small nod, they began crouching their ascension and eventually getting on their stomachs and crawling. At the top they peered out to see a vast and interconnected network of paths that rose up from the ground and snaked past each other, the jumble so thick and varied in size that some paths didn't even make sense and just seemed to collide into each other without rhyme or reason. It was also quiet, without movement and Laura wondered, if possibly they were all in the upper levels scavenging... but before she could continue her thoughts she heard Shane's breath hitch, and following his eye sight she saw.

There was Jas, crumpled and looking... more lifeless than not. Her heart fell and time seemed to slow, Shane's body tensing beside her, his fists clenched and tears burned his eyes. Then, a small movement and a relief followed by deep seeded panic that came over them collectively. Shane moved to rush towards her from where her small body perched high up amongst the arches but Laura grabbed him and yanked off the glove, and the ring with the bright blue light, keeping it inside the base of the glove as she passed it. He made to refuse it but Laura kept pressing.

"You promised. And you remember the words?" a heavily pregnant pause but slowly, he nodded, taking it as he made quick looks over to where Jas lay. And as soon as the ring and glove were on him he was off, sprinting to where his God daughter was. Laura followed as quickly as she could, eyes wildly trying to seek out threat as she knew Shane had only one track at that moment.

And it seemed too good to be true, because before they knew it, Shane had hold of Jas and she was pressed hard into his chest, his arms clutching her so tightly Laura worried he'd break a bone or two. Only one thing left to do- and so he removed the leather glove, and made a move to grab hold of Laura's hand but just as he did, the beam of light from the ring became so suddenly bright they instinctively followed it. And there stood Olc, the one who had been the cause of extreme pain and grief so far.

Across the cavern he was, and quickly approaching, gaining speed. The rate he was going his shadow figure was almost stretching out behind him, trying to keep speed with his core.

"Laura Serrano!" he bellowed almost gleefully. It was in that moment Laura knew she needed to take care of the problem and their lives would not be able to return to normal until he was dealt with.

"Throw a bomb!" Laura shouted at Shane as she took off to the right, hoping that it was only her that the shadow brute was after. He followed her orders and threw one towards the brute, the impact causing the fuse to spark and within seconds it had exploded, smashing apart sections of the routes, but within the haze of the shaken dust Laura could see the dark figure had evaded the attempt.

"Go! Shane! Call them to get you!" she yelled, but he was frozen in place- staring as the distance closed between herself and Olc.

 _Focus_ she reminded herself- unsure of how powerful this was going to be. Unsheathing her katana she took a low stance with the sword and as the thing got to her she hacked upwards slicing through ribbons of shadow and Olc hissed with an almost enjoyment.

"You thought, didn't you? That you could kill so many of us, and just get away with it?" he growled, swiping out at her, the contact with her shoulder causing a burning sensation to surge through her. Her lips stayed sealed tightly, as she pushed forward, crowding his space and thrusting the katana forward, catching his side as he danced out of the swords path.

"I would never have fought anyone had I not been attacked first each time!" she shouted back at him, weaving and darting and clenching her jaw when impacts were made. She noted that her stance was much stronger than his- but he seemed to know the footing of the labyrinth of pathways so well that his movements were sure. An idea crossed her mind, that if she backed him up enough, the section blown might disorient him and she could simply push him off and down into what looked like an almost endless pit down especially in the darkness of the caverns.

"Go, Shane!" she wailed, grunting as her footing almost came out from under her in her effort to push the brute backwards. There was no space in time to glance over at the man she was pressuring to leave. It was an intense meeting of power and katana that had beads of sweat snaking down her forehead, burning her eyes, and the hilt became almost loose in her sweating palms.

The plan was looking as though it could be working and her eagerness to finish him off was almost becoming an impairment, heart beating so fast it rang in her ears. Just a few more motions of pressing and she had her chance.

Thrusting the katana forward he once again dodged out of the way but there it was, his foot came down with such sureness on nothing that it was obvious, he was going to fall into the pit. A noise came from him that sounded as though her head had been shoved in a fire, the crackling and hissing, it was dizzying. She barely even felt a clawed hand incircle her arm and jerk her down, and it was almost luck that she reflexively reached out as she fell and caught the ledge. His noise stopped, and she felt her arm pull out of the socket in her shoulder, searing pain and she cried out for the first time loudly. Kicking she felt her boot make contact with something soft and he let go of her arm but only fell enough to grasp her foot. Throwing her arm up, she gripped the ledge and prayed to Yoba, the dust helping to keep her from slipping.

"Shane!" she screamed, and heard his footsteps pounding towards her. But suddenly Olc began to become very light, and she was unsure of what was happening. With one arm she was able to pull herself up enough onto the ledge that her head peaked out over the edge to just barely see Shane's panicked face coming towards her his mouth agape in terror. Then, a loud buzzing that she knew all too well. It had to be cave flys, and tons of them. Not only that but with the sudden weight shift, Olc was now using her body to crawl up to the ledge, his arms now around her waist and pulling upwards. It was with sudden reinforced fear that she began to buck and wry to get him off but it was to no avail.

"Shane!" she called out out again, a fear of death coming over her as she realized there was no time for her. "Shane please! Go! Do it! I'm sorry!" and her voice shuddered slightly as she took a very quick moment to just look at him as he still hurtled towards her. So many things she wanted to say. Hundreds of thoughts flooding and colliding inside her mind. "Don't let this be in vain." and she released her hold, and her body fell bonelessly through the air, Olc dug claws into her stomach and the pain was so great that spots began to form in her vision. She heard a howl of anguish but then moments after a bright light became all she saw with a snapping boom of thunder. It was the last she saw as she plummeted and fainted in the midst of her fall.

* * *

 **Would love to hear what you think. This chapter really worries me but, it's my first time writing a scene like this. I like a slow climb, a chaos of action, and then the story will go on. I may end it here, or I may continue on, I guess depends on reception especially of this chapter. Especially if there is negative feedback which is also welcome. If this story seems too slow I have an idea for another ShanexFarmer slow burn that I'm very excited about.**

 **Either ways there will be a few more chapters. Also! I commissioned artwork.**

 **The artist is from Fiverr and I don't believe ever played the game but I still really like it. c: Hope everyone is doing well!**


	17. Hope's Fragments

Morose was the only way to describe Shane as he was suddenly on his knees in the Wizard's castle. Jas was still clutched tightly in his arms, and as the dust settled around him, it was all he could do to look up at the Wizard who stood before him, hands clasped behind his back, eyes wound with a look of extreme concern.

"I... I had to leave her behind... she dropped off from a ledge... with that thing weighing her down." tears pricked at his eyes, but his voice was surprisingly firm. Though if Jas would have been immediately pried from his arms it would have revealed his shaking.

"I see." the wizard responded somberly, looking away and into cauldron billowing with green smoke. Shane didn't have the energy to lose it on Rasmodius, he barely had the energy to get back up and stand. Things just felt a little numb, even with his niece clasped safely in his arms. He took a moment to look down at her peaceful expression, a bit of dirt on her face and a few scratches on her upper arms. His bones felt leaden, and his chest... his heart felt wide open, taking in the cold impact and realization that Laura hadn't come back with them. But his Goddaughter was here, with him, and safe. It didn't occur to him at all at that moment that this may have been Laura's undoing, but only that Laura had saved them was what he thought of. Never before had he seen someone fight with such skill, such loyalty, and ultimately with the commitment to sacrifice herself.

 _You never do know if someone means it until it happens..._ he quietly mused to himself, tears slipping down his dirty face. Rasmodius seemed to suddenly appear, causing Shane to start a little but in a fluid motion they were eye to eye, the wizard crouching to look at him.

"You three were sledding, in the Delten Mountains right outside Zuzu city. You went for a few days as a vacation. Laura and Jas were on a sled together when they got in an accident. Laura has yet to be found." now he raised up a small wooden bowl with some dark blue liquid inside that Shane wrinkled his nose at, the smell terrible. "This will replace those memories for her. And while I don't have the ability to heal her- I can channel her injuries into the ruse we will be putting up. You must comply, or I will be forced to wipe your memories as well. Lewis and I know what is down there, but it is better the town is left unaware of it. You will both go to Harvey's clinic and stick to that story for everyone including him."

"Why would you keep that information from them?" Shane snarled, glowering. If only he had known, there would be no way that he'd let Jas leave his side. Then again... Laura had known and... he forced the thought away.

"Olc was a very special circumstance, Shane." the wizards voice sounded a little strained, and reluctantly the serum was given to his niece, who seemed just eager to down anything causing Shane to notice her dry and cracked lips. But as she drank, her lips took on a slightly pale color instead. She began to shiver slightly and the wizard moved to pull a flannel blanket from one of his shelves, helping Shane wrap the small frame in it. He couldn't pull his eyes away, and it was then that the feeling of extreme relief went through him, that she was safe, not unharmed, but safe. He brought her face up close to his, taking in that sweet smell of her hair and kissing her forehead gently, tears slipping again. Unimaginable, that he could have lost her...

"Now you." and reluctantly, Shane lifted his face away from her and accepted the small bowl, not without a pained expression as he downed it quickly as though he were back in the bar taking a shot to numb away a different type of pain. Steeling himself against the taste, he felt the cold settle into his bones too, and he stood up, nodding to the wizard and taking off towards Harvey's.

He got there quickly enough, it was pretty dark with only the town lamps lighting his way but to his surprise there the lights were on in the clinic. It wasn't normal for Harvey to be there and awake this late was it? But as he approached he saw the door swing open with Harvey in the doorway, a look of concern etched into his features.

"Shane! Please, I got the call from the mountain hospital. They tell me she's stable enough but maybe she should stay here a couple nights. I'm sorry they had you take the bus and..." he drifted off, the concern mixing with an expression of deep remorse. A small pause took place between them before Shane shouldered past the doctor who seemed to just accept the aggression and followed him inside.

Gently, Shane lowered Jas onto a hospital bed, not thinking an examination table would be needed, and Harvey made no move to correct the action. Instead he stepped forward brandishing his stethoscope, listening to her heartbeat, breathing, and taking down vitals. From a cupboard he pulled out several blankets and layered Jas in them, and attached a small clip onto her index finger and a screen near her bed flickered to life, reading out basic vitals. Finally, he turned to look at him, and smiled a little half heartedly, sadness breaching his expression.

"Well, everything seems to be in order... for Jas. I genuinely hope that they find Laura. I know the whole town will be worrying for her." Shane only grunted in agreement, that small part of him hoping for... something. It's not like he was sure of her death, and there was no way he was accepting it yet. It may have happened... but... he just couldn't accept it yet.

"Anyways... Maru and I will be taking shifts. I'll just be right there." and he pointed towards an old wood desk sitting in the warm glow of a floor lamp. "Maru will be in about 6am to relieve me. But please, I do think you should go home and get some rest it's nearly 1 in the morning even now." which surprised Shane, who knew it was late but not that late. He stared at Jas, who slept peacefully unaware, and his heart ached. Finally, he stood up straighter and nodded to Harvey.

"Thanks, man. But, I swear I'll fucking kill you if something happens to her." he threatened, and he felt a small primal part of himself mean it. After gutting several of those monsters, it made him know. He would be capable of killing and anyone who hurt Jas was a monster in his eyes. Not that he doubted the doctor, but he just needed to blow off steam somehow. And Harvey seemed to know that because he simply nodded grimly. Glancing at her again, Harvey recessed to his desk, pulling out stacks of paper and began scribbling things down into what looked like Jas's file. Shane didn't stick around longer for pleasantries and kissed Jas on her forehead, smoothing her hair away from her face, and smiled. She'd need a bath but rest was more important for now. And surprisingly she wasn't in as bad of shape as he'd thought while they were searching. I mean, for a bit there he'd thought she was dead. Like he feared for Laura now.

Out the door he went, knowing the location he had in mind. He looked down at his finger, gloves probably left in the cave but there was the ring, a dim blue stone set into the wide silver band. No light, and no worry that Olc was still alive. But would that mean the death of Laura? He passed his fingers through his hair roughly, irritated with himself. Why would he be such an ass? Hurt her so much? He was sure that she hadn't sought out trouble, and considered how it had been mentioned that she was only trying to settle down. He'd had some run ins with gangs. Would he want to be blamed if they came for him? I mean, in that first year there had been a small occasion but Marnie didn't blame him. Just scared off the thugs with a frying pan and protected her family.

He sighed deeply, feeling terrible for not emulating his aunt and worried that there would be no amends to make. Her last moments... he could have said something. Anything. Watching her slip away into the darkness he had wanted to shout to her, tell her he loved her. It was only once faced with such a hard reality that it had crashed into him, the worry he'd lose the woman he loved.

Moving at an almost jog, he went to where he was sure he could reach it... the sewer. Maybe he could find Krobus and get him to let him back in. Something had told him the wizard would be of no help, more unwilling to let Shane alone back into that sub lair. He wasn't excited about working again with someone of the same kind that had hurt his family, but surely Krobus would know more about the situation or how to retrieve Laura... in whatever state she may be in. He shuddered lightly a flash of morbid thought, her body at the bottom of the cave crushed and broken. Even worse, the idea of her surviving the fall... and dying from her injuries. Shane concentrated on running now, doing his best to keep the thoughts from eating away at him.

Not quickly enough he felt, he was there staring into the sewer, pulling without much luck at the bars, frustration taking over him. If he could just talk to the brute, reason, and get a way back in. He could make it, surely he could. He still had the galaxy dagger on him and the way to where she fell... he could make it. Especially knowing how far it actually was. Might take a day or two like before but... he could make it. Find her, and bring her back... somehow.

"Krobus!" Shane shouted, only hearing an echo back with the pitter patter of light dripping.

"Krobus!" he called again, desperation tinging his voice for what felt like the millionth time lately. He growled angrily, shaking the bars enough that a bit of dirt began to sprinkle downwards, and he began just howling down the sewer entrance, feeling as though the thing was simply ignoring him.

"You fucking piece of shit! Open this fucking gate!" he shouted loudly. He didn't let up for some time before his head made contact with the metal out of sheer anger. Slumping down to his knees, he stared at the ground. A pitter patter of water, but not from the sewer. His own tears falling to the ground.

"I'm sorry, Laura." he said quietly, snot leaking now as well as tears, but he had no strength to wipe it away. He might have been able to make it. To grab her and Jas. He'd failed her, just like he'd failed his sister. Sweet alcohol called to him strongly now, just a few shots could at least help numb this pain. But resolutely, he shifted and placed his back against the bars and stared out into the inky darkness but knowing he could hear the ocean waves lap up onto the beach a little ways down. Not knowing what to do now besides wait and hope... that maybe he could get ahold of the brute somehow.


	18. Phantom Limb

Laura's body was wracked in extreme pain, bruises and cuts pulsing as blood rushed to fix and clot the open wounds. A low guttural noise kept sounding, disturbing her from any rest and she realized it was her own groans of suffering. Her head throbbed, body ached, and it took everything to blearily open one eye, realizing after a few moments that the other was swollen shut and wouldn't be opening any time soon. It was only after a couple slow, painful blinks that a figure began to take shape almost above her. A figure made up of shadows, and with growing awareness she started to feel more of the pain, but also the shifting underneath herself as none other than Krobus strode quickly, arms under her body. She meekly raised a hand and touched the side of his face in disbelief, fingers moving through shadowy nothing for almost an inch before making contact with what felt like cold rock. Her hand jerked away in surprise, causing het joints and muscle to flare with painful protest. His deep set white eyes glanced at her and she blinked again.

"Krobus?" she tried to ask, but it came out as a faint raspy semblance of the word. He nodded grimly, an expression that she was only barely able to make out after years of knowing the solitary shadow brute.

Questions whirred in her mind as she woke more and more. Where was she now? Still in the cave? How had Krobus found her? Why? Did Jas and Shane escape in time? Was Jas alright? Was Shane alright? For a brief moment, she realized that Maybe Krobus had turned against her, that maybe he and Olc could have been working together from the beginning. Struggling was entirely fruitless but she began to try to kick out in vain anyways, one part of her leg feeling entirely numb but the other she could feel the tired attempt to get away but he quickly made to hold tighter when she trashed and spoke.

"Laura, please. I am not hurting you and I will not hurt you. Don't move too much, we are almost there." his eyes meeting hers briefly before going back to their thousand yard stare straight ahead, moving quicker now.

"How? …. Why?" was all she was able to squeak out before coughing violently, desperately wanting to howl in pain at the tremors it caused but she wasn't sure how quiet they needed to be while still within the bowels of the mine.

"I... well... Olc was my brother. You may have noticed we both are more... sentient than other things that dwell here. I felt his life leave him over time, and was able to find you down here because of it." she wanted him to address the second part of her inquiry, but at his confession she thought better of it. She had killed his brother, and whether they were close or not it was still his family. A small twinge of that fear came back, wondering if this may be an act of revenge with this "saving".

"I'm sorry." she wheezed out sincerely and Krobus only nodded slightly, that stare suddenly looking a bit more sad.

Now, they neared a dead end, something she only knew by how he slowed to a halt and kicked at the wall a couple times, forming a quick pattern. A blinding flash of light swallowed them. The world was still hazy, and it once again took time to adjust her eyes to her new surroundings, the Wizard's Tower. She could almost make out the wizard's expression too, and saw him nod to Krobus, who moved to lay her down on the worn wood floor. Rasmodius stepped over to her side and bent down, hand stroking his beard in thoughtful wonder as he stared the lower half of her body.

"Laura... you are in bad shape." he noted, and she almost wheezed out a laugh but instead sent herself again into a fit of coughing. "My magic can not heal, but it can turn an affliction into something else. Does this make sense?" she nodded. "Your right leg is... still attached but... I believe it is best we remove it."

Strangely, she only nodded again to him, with all that had gone on lately, and the fact she was even still alive- the loss of a limb seemed like she was getting off easy for what had happened. It might be the blood loss, but she felt perfectly calm about the situation. Rasmodius noticed this too, and his brow furrowed in concern, but he kept on anyways.

"I would like to move damage from the main body to limb."

Laura nodded once more, reluctant to try and speak again for fear of another fit. At her acceptance the wizard seemed to hurry as though worried she'd change her mind. Snapping his fingers, an old looking blade appeared in his hands, the hilt wrapped in what looked like thin blue string and the blade seeming dull and rusty. She cringed, but instead of sawing through her flesh as she initially thought he began to cut off her pant leg the knife slicing through the jean like it was warm butter. Lifting her head, she could only catch a glimpse of the mangled limb, covered in blood. She would have tried to keep looking had it not been for a cold hand on her forehead pushing her back down. Looking up, she saw Krobus again who shook his head solemnly to her.

"You will not want to look." he stated, and that's all she really needed to hear as she closed her eyes and drifted back into sleep.

* * *

Shane jolted awake, sweat dripping even in the crisp morning air, the sun barely peaking out over the edge of the horizon.

"Shane." Krobus said, causing him to flinch in surprise at the sound of his name, but he regained his composure quickly to whirl around and face the brute.

"Krobus!" he growled out angrily, immediately grabbing the bars of the sewer with a white knuckled grip. "Where the fuck were you?! I need to get back into the mines, I have to fi-"

"She's with Rasmodius." and before much else could be said, Shane was off running. There wasn't time, in his opinion, to listen to the rest of what that thing might have had to say. He needed to be there with Laura, to get her to Harvey and insure she'd get the help she needed. For a quick second though he turned his head to look back at the figure still standing in the mouth of the sewers watching him.

 _ _What could have happened...__ he wondered to himself, turning forward to concentrate on his footing as he ran up the stairs and out to the tower looming in the distance.

It had to be his adrenaline that pushed him so far so fast, especially after their journey and the very short night of sleep he'd had but he arrived at the base of the tower quickly, running up the steps and making to bang on the door. Before his fist could even make contact though the door opened at a steady pace. He felt as though he'd surely make contact with the face of the opener- but no body was there to take the impact. Stumbling forward, he borderline collapsed into the room but steadied himself as he looked to the ground to see Laura laying there, a pillow under her head and thin blanket over her body. Gritting his teeth and trying to keep the cotton mouth at bay he strode forward to kneel down next to the small woman.

"Laura..." he murmured, tracing his fingers behind her ear, pushing stray hairs back.

"She is fine. Safe. But there needed to be a hard choice made and it saved her life." he heard, and turned his head to see the wizard.

"What do you mean?" he borderline snarled, fear snaking through him.

"We removed her leg."

Shane's eyes widened to saucers and he looked back at Laura in bewilderment. Hesitating at first, he ripped the blanket from her body and gaped as he saw her left leg was missing just above the knee down wrapped heavily in white bandages. He whirled, standing up quick, his hands balling into fists and taking a hard step forward before whirling back away, tears stinging at the corner's of his eyes.

"What the fuck..." Shane uttered behind gritted teeth. He rationalized with himself that she was alive, and may have been more explosive had it not been for her shifting at the new cold meeting her from the loss of the blanket. And he blamed himself more anyways. He recovered Laura, cringing as she straightened the blanket over her legs.

"You will soon take her to the doctor. Inform him you got a call to pick her up, that she is stable and he can decide what is best to move forward with."

"How the fuck am I supposed to explain this?" Shane demanded, whirling again on the wizard, but his voice stayed in a lower octave worried to wake up Laura who he knew needed her rest.

"Small avalanche. Leg crushed under boulder." the wizard said simply, his eyes daring Shane to keep the tone up. Shane decided play it safe and keep comments to himself, and looked back at Laura.

"You should probably take her now before a town meeting is mobilized. Everyone already knows about Jas."

"Figures." he muttered, seeing how it was already a couple hours past dawn word would have traveled fast already. "Hey Laura." he whispered, scooping his hands under her back and legs to lift her up as gently as he could, as though she were a china doll.

"There is a wheelchair at the bottom of the stairs." and with a nod, Shane left the tower and headed off pushing the wheelchair with a still sleeping Laura sitting in it, her lap and legs covered in the thin blanket from the wizard. He was glad for it, knowing that without it he'd be staring down at her gone appendage maybe even more than at the path in front of them.

 _ _It's good. You thought you'd be doing body recovery. She's only missing a small piece of her body.__ He reminded himself, but the guilt still taunted at him, unforgiving and cruel. Thoughts of her barely peaking over the ledge insisting he leave her danced in his mind's eye, the increasingly loud cacophony of buzzing mixed in with her shouts growing more urgent. Even still, he regretted not staying though staying may have been a much worse outcome. Thing was, he'd never know and so the guilt would eat at him whether he liked it or not. Especially since he'd been such a dick when Jas was originally taken. _ _I don't deserve her.__ He thought ruefully, surging forward a little faster.

* * *

A strong hand took hers, a clean and fresh scent mixing with a masculine musk, instinctively by the touch, Laura gripped whoever touched her, willing her eyes to open and see who it was. It didn't smell like Shane but... her eyes opened into thin light sensitive slits, and could have seen that mustache from miles away.

"Harvey." she rasped out, smiling faintly at him.

"Laura, hey- do you feel okay?" his voice was cautious and sad, and she knew he wasn't sure if he should broach the leg topic or not.

"Yeah, feels like I've got a big weight lifted off!" she announced, smiling a little more for his sake. She was never one to push people, or try to make them uncomfortable. Someone else's discomfort almost always made her feel weird too and so addressing an elephant would normalize it faster in her opinion. Harvey only let out a deep breath, giving her a thin lipped smile that didn't meet his sad eyes.

"You could say that." he said, a light pity chuckle as he pressed a finger into her wrist, nodding his head briefly.

"Well, Laura. I'm just very glad to see you're home safe. We all... and I mean... I really missed you when you were on your trip. And when you didn't come home? It was a frightful time for me and... all of us. I tried to keep the rumor mill at bay but..."

"I understand perfectly." she said, wanting to stop him from rambling. Her head still ached under the harsh clinic light and her left ankle itched an itch she couldn't ever get to again. But she suffered another smile for him anyways, which he met with his own more sincere one.

"It's only been the day, Maru and I are taking shifts to monitor your health for at least the next two days. Jas went home with Shane... in case you wondered. She was very dazed when she woke and I told him it would be best if she were somewhere familiar with him and Marnie and that you'd follow along later." Laura felt a tinge of sadness, and felt selfish for feeling it. She'd absolutely been hoping to wake up to Shane asleep in a corner chair, awaiting her wake. But it was very reasonable he'd go home, Jas was why they'd gone into the mines, and Jas had been in there because of her.

"You've actually suffered a good bit of damage. It weirdly seems like it was nearly all in your leg but you still had a couple ribs broken and it did put a small hole in your right lung. Doctors at that other hospital sure aren't much good but... we'll keep you here for a while and monitor you, make sure you're in tip top shape because I'm sure you're very eager to get back to the farm." he said, silence filling the air briefly. "Linus has been doing very well trying to keep it up to your standards." he said quickly, and she smiled at him.

"I'm lucky in lots of ways aren't I?" she asked. Harvey simply nodded, smiling back at her and finally pulling his hand away from hers as he realized he still clutched it a light blush dusty his cheeks that Laura was barely sure she even saw.


	19. Hurt in Tandem

Shane cleared his throat loudly. He'd come in right at their tender moment and it was all he could do to keep the shouting down. The last week had been so stressful that it was hard to keep all of it tamped down. _You'll burst if you keep it all in._ his Aunt had once told him. But lately, there seemed to be few other options. There wasn't much, he'd thought, to make him feel more overwhelmed but the blushing doctor really drove him to the edge. Envisioning what it would be like to sucker punch Harvey right in the gut, Shane drew near to the two of them, Harvey's hands suspiciously deep in his pockets as though trying to hide evidence he'd been attempting to romance his... well, he wasn't sure what she was to him anymore but the scene grinded his gears. And those gears turned in his head rapidly, and recalled Lewis's threat to mention Laura's dating status to the fuckhead, and Shane added another person to his list of people to sucker punch.

"Shane, how are you? How's Jas?" Laura immediately asked, and he felt his chest tighten a little at her concern. Looking at Harvey, his eyes flicked to the door out of the patient's area and Harvey just stared back at him a pause pregnant and carrying an anxious pressure. A look Shane wasn't sure he could identify marred Harvey's features, but he didn't give a rats ass to figure out the meaning. It was only a few moments before the doctor gave in, and ambled slowly out of the room, giving the two of them some space. Laura seemed to just ignore the tension and smiled at Shane who attempted a smile back.

"I thought you were dead." Were the first words from his mouth, and he cringed as they came out, wishing there was a reverse button on his words sometimes. Laura only patted the bed, inviting him to sit a little closer to her.

"I thought I was too, honestly. Krobus came and saved me." _Great, another... thing to compete with._ Although, was he even wanting to compete? Was he truly sure he wanted to put this effort into her? But deep inside himself he knew he did. Shane came forward, sitting where directed and scooped her hand up in his, clutching it like he would squeeze out the memory of Harvey holding her hand and replace it with himself. She glanced down at the grip, and back at him with another confusing look. There hadn't been many times he'd been adept at deciphering expressions, but for some reason right now was particularly difficult. "So is Jas okay?" His gaze shot back up to her, as it had slowly crept down her body, and he knew where it had been headed.

"Oh, uh yeah. She's doing fine, she actually is better than I had thought, hardly a scratch on her. That shadow brute really seemed to only want to do physical harm to you..." Once again, he wished he hadn't said that. It was difficult, seeing Laura like this and it muddled his thoughts. Honestly, he was giving it his all and trying to be as calm and sweet to her as he could. Desperately trying to keep his eyes on her face rather than what was left of her leg.

 _You did this_ those little beetles of self loathing chirped at him, scuttling around in his mind, burrowing holes into his psyche and reminding him what a piece of shit he felt he was.

Eventually though, he couldn't help himself. His eyes cast down to the bandaged nub and guilt tormented him so severely it was the first time he just felt like he may have been the problem all along. If it weren't for him, maybe she'd have more time to do what she needed, if he wasn't such a ticking time bomb. They all probably thought he'd jump back into the drunken state he usually was in, that he'd slip back into it possibly even unknowingly. Laura, all this time, had been so good to him, so patient, and so understanding. How could he stand here? Holding her hand and pushing another man out of the picture when they weren't even really a couple? The self condemnation kept crashing into him, waves that were relentless in their barrage of hatred and pity for himself. Pulling his hand away he now gave her a wild eyed look, and her expression crumpled a little at the action.

"Shane...?" It was breaking him, his hands came up and he clutched at his hair, looking around the room at anything but her. There was no way he could handle this. "Shane." she said again, more firmly, and he could tell she was desperately trying to make eye contact with him, and in his peripheral vision he could make out her hand reaching out to him pleadingly.

"No! No, Laura. I've hurt you. Nothing but hurt you, and I didn't even fucking try to get you! I let you fall!"

"Shane, I begged you to! I told you to go, you had to save Jas!" her voice had raised an octave, and he could hear the panic. It was driving him mad and adding to the cacophony of chirping in his head.

"I fucked up, Laura! FUCK!"

Harvey was in the room now, looking franticly between the two distressed people, and he approached slowly, hands up in attempted placation.

"Oh, fuck off, Harvey!" Shane shouted, feeling manic and unhinged, he shoved past the doctor, hard enough that the man fell backwards, taking down a privacy screen with him in a crash of body and metal. Somewhere, he thought he heard Laura cry out, but there was no way he could deal with this. He needed a drink, he needed to get the hell out of there, he needed to disappear. Maru yelped, jumping out of his way as Shane barreled past. He didn't know where he was going, or what he was doing. All he knew was he needed out of... all of it.

* * *

 **Notes:**

 **This is the end for now, a two part series. The second part will explore more of the effects their "quick" adventure had on them. Harvey will play a part more heavily in the next part as well as other characters from around the town.**

 **Thank you for reading and hanging on with me thus far! I am going to take more of a planned approach for the second part of this, and will make more of a goal of doing weekly updates. I'd love to hear what you thought, what you liked and disliked, and what you may want to see in the next part.**

 **Thank you again!**


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